64 miles to ‘local’ NHS practice
AN online petition calling for action to help people access an NHS dentist has reached 189,000 signatures.
Josh Keeling, an aircraft engineer, set it up on Change. org after his partner Olivia Morley, 28, needed a root canal – but their nearest NHS dentist was 64 miles away.
The dad-of-one, 27, from Dorset, said: “The pain was so excruciating she considered asking me to get the pliers.”
He added: “There is something wrong with the system – private dental treatments are readily available. It’s a chaotic mess.”
One signee from Sudbury, Suffolk, said: “I have not been able to get an appointment in over four years.
“I am 71 and have broken teeth but cannot afford private treatment.”