A Ukrainian refugee “seriously considered returning home” to get the dental treatment she desperately needed, because no NHS dentists in Leeds are taking on new patients.
Local Liberal Democrat councillor Stewart Golton, who highlighted the case, said he was “embarrassed” by the situation, which he blamed on the government’s “neglect” of NHS dentistry. A BBC investigation published earlier this week found that no dental practices in Leeds are accepting new patients.
Austerity, a shortage of dentists and a backlog of treatment exacerbated by the pandemic have all been cited as factors behind the problem, which is affecting much of the UK.
