A scheme to ease the issue of long dental waiting lists in Powys as a new project will debut in the county this summer.
First Minister of Wales Vaughan Gething confirmed that Powys Teaching Health Board is set to pilot a suggested new system for dental services in July, before being adopted throughout Wales at a later date.
The statement was in response to a question asked by Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Jane Dodds MS in the Senedd on May 14, as she MS urged the First Minister to adopt a centralised dental waiting list to help curb pressures on dental services throughout Wales.
Ms Dodds also cited the latest figures from Powys Teaching Health Board that there are still over 4,000 adults waiting for dental care in the county.
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She said: “I very much welcome the news that the Welsh Government will be adopting a centralised dental waiting in the near future, which will help us finally tackle the backlogs affecting dental services across Wales.
“I am equally proud to see that my home constituency of Powys will be at the forefront of this, with local residents being the first in Wales to benefit.
“People in Wales are desperately trying to access an NHS dentist with over 4,000 adults still waiting for access to care in Powys alone.
“But now with the adoption of this system, the Powys health board will now be able to find them a dentist.
“It is clear to see that, without a centralised waiting list system, both the First Minister and his cabinet have no real grasp of the issues affecting dental care here in Wales.
“We as a party have continually called for the adoption of this system, and we are pleased to see that these calls have not fallen on closed ears.
“This is a monumental first step in our journey of delivering an effective and accessible dental service to the people of Wales.”
The Mid and West Wales MS also argued that by adopting this system, health boards would be better able to find dentists for those stuck on waiting lists.
Welsh Lib Dems added that they hope the introduction of a centralised waiting list will help obtain a clearer picture of the state of dentistry care in Wales.
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