SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, has expressed his concern at the ‘significant challenges’ facing islanders in accessing dental care, following the news this week that both full-time dentists in Uist are set to leave in the new year.

Residents and local representatives are worried about the future of dental care in Uist, with uncertainty around the timescales which will be involved in recruiting new permanent dentists, as well as the sizeable costs to the health service of locums meantime, and the level of provision available to local people.

Commenting, Alasdair Allan said:

“I am very concerned indeed at the declining situation in terms of my constituents’ access to dental care across our islands, and the situation is set to worsen in Uist with the recent news. I met with the health board this morning following my urgent request to discuss this issue.

“I also wrote to the Scottish Government earlier this week to highlight again the significant challenges many of my constituents face in getting a dentist appointment, and the near impossibility of registering with an NHS dentist. I am aware that UK Government policy decisions around employer national insurance increases and stricter visa rules are having a directly negative impact on the provision of dental services across Scotland, but this issue is felt more acutely in the Highlands and Islands. I’m aware that the Scottish Government has allocated additional funding, in the form of the Scottish Dental Access Initiative Allowances, to help increase the number of dentists in specific areas.

“We have made strong progress in reducing dental issues amongst children across the islands through the Childsmile programme over the last two decades, but it’s vital that children and adults alike are able to access preventative and routine dental care, not just emergency appointments, no matter where they live in the Western Isles.”