Access to dental treatment should be a right not a privilege.
But how can we expect children to develop good oral hygiene habits if their parents cannot get regular access to a public dental practice? Research published yesterday found nearly 80 per cent of NHS practices in Scotland are not accepting new child patients.
Some families will have the ability to pay for private dental care. But that’s not an option for everyone. Older people in Scotland also face issues if they are looking to sign up to an NHS practice as four out of five are turning away new adult patients.
While NHS dental treatment is not free for most adults, it is subsidised. The Scottish Government has pledged to abolish all NHS dental charges by the end of this parliament.
Compared to other UK nations, Scotland is performing better – but big improvements are still required. We can’t tolerate a situation where some families can’t get their children seen by an NHS dentist.
The British Dental Association has urged the Scottish Government to give short-term funding support to dentists to tackle the enormous Covid backlog. It’s an obvious solution that would help practices and patients alike.
If SNP ministers want to convince people in Scotland of the benefits of independence, a good way would be to improve the public services under their charge. Ensuring comprehensive access to NHS dentists would be a good start.
Justice at last for brave victims
Susie Henderson was told she would never be believed if she went to the police with claims of abuse against a group of leading
Scottish lawyers. She was cowed into silence and believed the rich and powerful men who sexually assaulted her were too well-connected to be brought to justice.
Thankfully, Susie and the other victims somehow found the courage to go the police and tell them what had happened to them.
And yesterday one of those men, John Watt QC, was jailed for 10 years for his sickening attacks on these poor children. The fact that others involved in this group of predatory abusers died before being convicted or charged is a tragedy.
But Susie and the other victims deserve great credit in bravely bringing this case to a conclusion. They have shown us that no matter how wealthy or powerful an abuser is, they must always face the full force of the law.
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