Question reference: S6W-00376
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 2 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the scale of delays in waiting times for NHS dental check-ups.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not analyse statistics on waiting times for NHS dental examinations within General Dental Services (GDS) as this service is delivered across around 1100 dental practices, each with local differences in patterns of prescribing and service delivery.
Infection control requirements have meant that practices are still working at considerably reduced capacity, necessitating the triage of patients according to clinical need to some extent, including the availability to dental check-ups for individuals with historically poor oral health.