Concerns Raised Over Dental Access For Disabled Patients

Mon, 24 Aug 2009

Many dental practices in Northamptonshire are unable to treat wheelchair-using patients as they lack the necessary equipment, it has been claimed.

Ability Northants, a charity for disabled people, said it has received complaints from wheelchair users who have experienced difficulties in accessing the same dental treatment as other patients.

Director of the charity Sandra Bell said: "So many dentists are in Victorian buildings which are not easy to adapt and which they will not move out of."

"There's not one in the county that I know of which can treat wheelchair users. Dentists just don't seem to be prepared to treat them."

She added: "Most of the problems seem to be with dental chairs, as many wheelchair users are unable to use them, and special lifting chairs are not available in the majority of the county's surgeries."

Ability Northants was contracted by the NHS to carry out an audit on dental surgeries across Northamptonshire in 2004.

Mrs Bell explained that the charity would now like to know how much of the work they recommended has "actually taken place".

Despite the complaints to the charity, NHS Northamptonshire has insisted that "many of the recommendations" made by Ability Northants have been implemented, but added that some premises could not be "suitably adapted".

However, the PCT stressed that every Northamptonshire town has at least one surgery with disabled access.

Diane Fenton, head of dentistry and practitioner service for NHS Northamptonshire, said: "There is no need for anyone to travel outside the county to get the care they need."
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