Ten things you said about... Quarantine hotels to open
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John Monaghan: £100 a night in a best western. Anyway not needed too late
Carol Humble Burns: So in the meantime they can still come in it could be raging by 15th.
Alison Bilton: It should apply to all countries.And it is a bit late.
Gary Osbaldeston: None required anyway, covid is finished. It’s on its way out.
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Kevin Smith: Way too late should be now not the 15th
Marg Tony Cordero: All airports should be closed in every country.
Maureen Eley: Great move, but would be better if ALL countries stopped
Will Bailes: What’s the point?
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Tracey Maynard: Way too late to wait until the
15th, this should have been with immediate effect.
Barry Marshall: Shutters should have gone up a year ago..and still we delay.
Some NHS dental patients are being asked to pay for private appointments "if they want treatment" during the coronavirus pandemic, a watchdog has warned.
A Healthwatch England briefing document, seen by PA news agency, highlights how one patient was told they would need to wait for two years for an NHS appointment. Chairman of Healthwatch England, Sir Robert Francis QC, said the pandemic has "exacerbated the human impact of years of structural issues in NHS dentistry and is now pushing it to crisis point."
The document states: "A lack of NHS dentist appointments remains the most common issue that people have told us about. People have been asked to wait for up to two years to see an NHS dentist.Peoplehaveindicatedthat dentists have prioritised private care or asked them to pay private fees if they wanted any treatment.”
The sector has been badly affected by the pandemic - infection control, social distancing and personal protective equipment mean that dentists are not able to see as many patients as they used to, and a huge backlogs has built up after being surgeries were forced to shut for a number of weeks last year.
Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee, said: "Patients with urgent problems need to be at the front of the queue for care. Sadly, Government is forcing dentists to prioritise volume over need by imposing inappropriate targets.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokespersonsaid:"Wearecommittedto supporting the dental sector throughout this unprecedented pandemic so everyone can accessaffordable,high-quality dental care.”