Having been approached by a number of residents raising concerns relating to the provision of NHS dental services in Aberconwy and North Wales, the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders, wrote to the Welsh Government and raised this matter in the Senedd, calling for urgent action on this situation.
In her correspondence Janet outlined that the current provision of services was leaving patients unable to access routine NHS dental care, with some reporting having their appointments re-scheduled up to three times over several months.
Responding to the Member’s correspondence, Eluned Morgan - Minister for Health and Social Services, Welsh Government – has confirmed that a new North Wales Dental Academy will be established in Bangor. According to the Minister this flagship practice is expected to treat some 10,000 – 12,000 patients annually.
Commenting on the news Janet said:
“The ongoing shortage of NHS dental services in Aberconwy has been deeply worrying with patients having to wait months to receive the most routine and basic of dental check-ups and treatment. This totally unacceptable situation has forced some residents to seek private dental care, which given the rising costs of living crisis we are currently experiencing in Wales, many can ill afford.
“Unfortunately, this situation has not come as a surprise. Last summer The British Dental Association (BDA) warned that shortfalls in the NHS budget for dentistry has made it difficult for practice owners to keep their books balanced and to recruit associated willing to undertake NHS work.
“Given this, I am delighted to see that the Welsh Government is finally listening to calls to take action on this matter. I hope that the opening of a North Wales Dental Academy, to treat patients and providing training opportunities in North Wales, will help to alleviate the growing backlog of NHS dental appointments across the region.
“While I warmly welcome this news it is clear that further work must be done to continue to support dentistry across North Wales to meet the demand for services. I strongly believe that this must be done through a multi-pronged approach, including working directly with BCUHB, private dental practices and in enhancing the area’s attractiveness to recruit and retain dental clinicians."
Ar ôl i lawer o'r trigolion gysylltu â hi i godi pryderon am wasanaethau deintyddol y GIG yn Aberconwy a gweddill y Gogledd, ysgrifennodd Janet Finch-Saunders AS Aberconwy, at Lywodraeth Cymru a chodi'r mater hwn yn y Senedd, yn galw am weithredu brys ar y sefyllfa hon.
Yn ei gohebiaeth, amlinellodd Janet fod y ddarpariaeth gwasanaethau presennol yn golygu nad oedd cleifion yn gallu cael gofal deintyddol arferol y GIG, gyda rhai'n dweud bod eu hapwyntiadau wedi'u haildrefnu hyd at deirgwaith dros ychydig fisoedd.
Wrth ymateb i ohebiaeth yr Aelod, mae Eluned Morgan, Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Llywodraeth Cymru, wedi cadarnhau y bydd Academi Ddeintyddol newydd yn cael ei sefydlu ym Mangor. Yn ôl y Gweinidog, mae disgwyl i'r practis blaenllaw hwn drin tua 10,000 - 12,000 o gleifion bob blwyddyn.
Wrth ymateb i'r newyddion, dywedodd Janet:
“Mae'r prinder parhaus o wasanaethau deintyddol y GIG yn Aberconwy wedi bod yn destun pryder mawr gyda chleifion yn gorfod aros misoedd i gael yr archwiliadau a'r triniaethau deintyddol mwyaf arferol a sylfaenol. Mae'r sefyllfa gwbl annerbyniol hon wedi gorfodi rhai preswylwyr i chwilio am ofal deintyddol preifat, sydd, o ystyried yr argyfwng costau byw sy'n ein hwynebu ar hyn o bryd, yn anodd i'w fforddio.
“Yn anffodus, nid yw'r sefyllfa hon yn fawr o syndod. Dim ond haf diwethaf, rhybuddiodd Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain (BDA) fod diffygion yng nghyllideb y GIG ar gyfer deintyddiaeth wedi'i gwneud hi'n anodd i berchnogion practisau fantoli eu cyfrifon a recriwtio'r rhai sy'n awyddus i wneud gwaith y GIG.
“O gofio hyn, rwy'n falch o weld bod Llywodraeth Cymru o'r diwedd yn gwrando ar alwadau i weithredu ar y mater hwn. Gobeithiaf y bydd agor yr Academi Ddeintyddol i drin cleifion a darparu cyfleoedd hyfforddiant ar hyd a lled y Gogledd yn helpu i liniaru'r ôl-groniad cynyddol o apwyntiadau deintyddol y GIG ledled y rhanbarth.
“Er fy mod i'n croesawu'r newyddion yn fawr, mae'n amlwg bod rhaid gwneud rhagor o waith i barhau i gefnogi deintyddiaeth ledled y Gogledd er mwyn ateb y galw am wasanaethau. Credaf yn gryf fod yn rhaid gwneud hyn drwy ddull gweithredu aml-elfen, gan gynnwys gweithio'n uniongyrchol gyda BIPBC, practisau deintyddol preifat a sicrhau bod yr ardal yn fwy atyniadol i recriwtio a chadw clinigwyr deintyddol."