Refugee in Leeds 'considered returning to Ukraine' when faced with five-year wait to for NHS dentist

Local Liberal Democrat councillor Stewart Golton, who highlighted the case, said he was “embarrassed” by the situation, which he blamed on the government’s “neglect” of NHS dentistry.

A BBC investigation published earlier this week found that no dental practices in Leeds are accepting new patients.

Austerity, a shortage of dentists and a backlog of treatment exacerbated by the pandemic have all been cited as factors behind the problem, which is affecting much of the UK.

Councillor Golton told how the Ukrainian refugee, who is being hosted by a local family, was having “serious” discomfort with her teeth.

He said: “Her chronic pain unresolved by travelling to emergency dentists on the other side of Yorkshire and facing a five-year wait on the NHS Dentist list, she was seriously considering risking returning home.

“Thankfully, after I explained her circumstances over the phone, a local private practice generously agreed to treat her for free. The only reason I don’t mention their name is the fear that they would be inundated with similar requests.

“Overall, this was literally a painful example of how far the neglect of NHS dentistry has gone.

“I felt embarrassed that a significantly wealthier country such as ours has a worse functioning dental service than an ex-Communist state.”

Coun Golton said the fault for the crisis “lies solely with the Conservative government” and called for a health minister to visit Leeds to speak to patients and dentists.

He added: “People are being forced to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds on private dental care, with some even resorting to their own at-home DIY dentistry.”

Responding to the BBC’s investigation earlier this week, the Department of Health said it had made an extra £50m available “to help bust the Covid backlogs”.

In a statement, it added that the department was trying to improve NHS access, as one of its priorities.