weegee Posted December 1, 2013 Report Share Posted December 1, 2013 people who are sock and have nowhere to go for care are labelled bed blockers. God help us if assisted suicide ever becomes legal. The NHS managers will have a field day given that their aim seems to be to get rid of patients and the "problem" they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaviewz Posted December 1, 2013 Report Share Posted December 1, 2013 Hi!There is a private dentist in Lerwick. Dental Shetland. 01595695553 for appoitments.You could be seen in no time! Im not sure I can afford to go Private Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Yeah, I recently went private for route canal treatment, as I just couldn't wait. In retrospect I wish I'd put up with the pain for another few weeks, which was the earliest appointment the NHS could do. The treatment was no better than I'd have got at Montfield which, to be fair, is usually pretty good once you get seen. Overall it cost nearly £500. Wish I'd just had the tooth out to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skalavagr Posted February 9, 2014 Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 The NHS dentistry situation in Shetland is an absolute scandal - preventive dentistry (ie scaling and cleaning to prevent gum disease) is unavailable to far many people, a fact which is just storing up future trouble and expense. Regarding the waiting list - I heard from someone involved with Shetland NHS that it was currently about four years, which is borne out by the experiences of family members who have been waiting that long and more. In my opinion, NHS Shetland is completely failing in its duty to provide dental care, but what can any of us do about it? I would be interested to learn who a complaint could be made to, if anyone knows. I have written to our MSP about this, but he was of little use, just parroting Shetland NHS's anodyne statements. As for the private dental practice - my mouth has honestly not been the same since I went there, and I would prefer to steer well clear of them in future if I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted February 9, 2014 Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 Is there a problem getting folk up to practice. I remember and Add for a GP being up for many many months, not even sure if the job was taken. I have used private dentists, you get to tell them how to go about things, and get work done according to a budget. In fact, much of the work I had done came in cheaper than the NHS quotes, by quite a bit. Considering now going abroad to get the expensive bits done, half the price and a week in Riga sounds great. Though, I am having to save up. There is no point waiting really while your teeth get worse. Though some would say that they do not repair or heal, I would beg to differ with that opinion. A high fluoride tooth past can stimulate the surface of teeth to harden back up and re-mineralise, this can be got via prescription. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 We must remember that NHS Shetland cannot "order" a number of dentists to report for duty in Shetland. They have to compete in a national (and maybe international) market for a limited supply of dentists to meet current needs and maybe our location, our weather and the cost of housing put the majority of job seeking dentists from saying Yes! to Shetland. Probably not much they can do about this except keep trying to recruit. Girzie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candle Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 One cannot only blame dificulties with recruitment. Many dentists have come to shetland with the intention of staying but left after a short time. One should consider why that is as there are usually reasons for high staff turnover. Maybe one needs to address this rather than, rather conveniently, blaming lack of available dentists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justintime Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 We Must remember this is a disaster of Shetland Heath boards own making When Alan Owen decided to retire he wanted to sell his practice as a going concern, He even had a young Couple who were both Dentist wanting to take over. But after meeting two of the not so smartest people Shetland health board have ever hired in the car park at Hayfield house and once told they were not welcome in Shetland and if they did buy the practice they wouldn't be geting any help from the Shetland Health board they Boarded the next flight out never to return. Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Sounds a little far fetched ^ There is a general shortage of Dentists, this is why the waiting lists are so long in many places. The money is in private or as consultants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Sounds a little far fetched ^ There is a general shortage of Dentists, this is why the waiting lists are so long in many places. The money is in private or as consultants. The impression I got was that the old surgery needed new equipment/a degree of refurbishment in order to bring it up to date and the Shetland NHS Board weren't prepared to contribute? Re "The money is in private or as consultants" - not according to my mate who is a dentist. He worked for years as an NHS dentist and then had a partnership in a dental practice but still did NHS work. He still works in the NHS but in a hospital carrying out more detailed and complicated work. He reckons that given the overheads of running a dental practice, he makes more dosh working in a hospital ... and he's not a consultant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justintime Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Sounds a little far fetched ^. The impression I got was that the old surgery needed new equipment/a degree of refurbishment in order to bring it up to date and the Shetland NHS Board weren't prepared to contribute? Yes your impression was right the old Surgery Did indeed need updating and "Shetland Health board weren't prepared to contribute" but ended up paying for the full refurbishment and then scrambling around for the last two years trying to find Dentists to man it. "Sounds a little far fetched" It's the Shetland Health Board so no I don't think it it's does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) I had a quick look online to check my facts but I cant't find anything but my recollection wasAlan Owen retired A pair of dentists were interested but the NHS wouldn't accept them The NHS bought Alan Owen's practice He sold all his equipment privately so the NHS had to buy new stuffThere is an article from the Shetland Times here http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2011/07/01/patients-worries-eased-as-nhs-shetland-vows-to-take-over-owen-dental-practice/ Incidentally my opinion as to why there is a crisis in Scotland for NHS dentists is it is a direct result of the closure of the Edinburgh dental school about 25 years, which has created a shortage of dentists. Edited February 11, 2014 by MuckleJoannie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel B Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 Alan Owen's practice wasn't better than any other dentist that I've been to. In fact, I only went because I absolutely had to. That was nearly 20 years ago, and never been to a dentist since. They're all as bad as each other, as far as treatment goes, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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