Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales is calling on the First Minister to take urgent action to tackle the lack of dentists in his region.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government said:
I am inundated with constituents contacting me regarding their difficulties in accessing NHS dentists in North Wales.
A number of constituents have been in touch from Wrexham who have been told they are going to have to wait up to two years before they can see an NHS dentist. I have had residents from the Vale of Clwyd who have said that they have been told they will have to wait three years before they can access dentistry.
I think part of the frustration is that these are people who are paying their taxes and national insurance, but not receiving the service those taxes are supposed to fund, essentially, residents are therefore having to pay twice, because they are paying through their taxes and then having to access these services through private dental care instead.
It seems to me at the moment that dentists, whilst seemingly happy to offer the private care, do not perhaps seem happy with the NHS contracts that you have put in place, because they are simply not offering their services through NHS work.
Mr Rowlands asked Mark Drakeford what action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to NHS dentists in North Wales?
The First Minister did not accept there was a problem and said dentists had overwhelmingly signed up for the new contract which would enable them to see new patients, new NHS patients, in all parts of Wales.
Mr Rowlands added:
I am still receiving emails from concerned constituents who cannot access an NHS dentist so quite clearly there is a real problem. I urge the First Minister to take urgent action.
Sam Rowlands AS yn beirniadu’n hallt y diffyg deintyddion GIG yng Ngogledd Cymru
Mae Sam Rowlands AS Gogledd Cymru yn galw ar y Prif Weinidog i gymryd camau brys i fynd i’r afael â’r diffyg deintyddion yn ei ranbarth.
Wrth siarad yn y Senedd, dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros Lywodraeth Leol:
Mae llu o etholwyr yn cysylltu â mi ynglŷn â’u problemau o ran ceisio gweld deintyddion y GIG yng Ngogledd Cymru.
Mae nifer o etholwyr yn Wrecsam wedi cysylltu i ddweud eu bod wedi cael gwybod y bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw aros hyd at ddwy flynedd i weld deintydd y GIG. Mae trigolion o Ddyffryn Clwyd wedi dweud wrthyf eu bod wedi cael gwybod y bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw aros tair blynedd am wasanaethau deintyddol.
Rwy’n credu bod rhwystredigaeth y bobl hyn yn rhannol yn dod o’r ffaith eu bod yn talu eu trethi a’u hyswiriant gwladol, ond nid ydyn nhw’n cael y gwasanaeth mae’r trethi hynny i fod i dalu amdanynt. Felly, yn y bôn, mae trigolion yn gorfod talu dwywaith oherwydd, er eu bod yn talu am y gwasanaethau hyn drwy eu trethi, mae’n rhaid iddyn nhw ddefnyddio gofal deintyddol preifat.
Mae’n ymddangos i mi ar hyn o bryd fod deintyddion, er eu bod i’w gweld yn hapus i gynnig y gofal preifat, efallai’n llai na hapus â’r contractau GIG yr ydych wedi’u rhoi ar waith, oherwydd, yn syml, nid ydyn nhw’n cynnig eu gwasanaethau ar ffurf gwaith o dan y GIG.
Mae Mr Rowlands wedi gofyn i Mark Drakeford pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i wella mynediad at ddeintyddion y GIG yng Ngogledd Cymru.
Nid oedd y Prif Weinidog yn derbyn bod problem a dywedodd fod mwyafrif llethol y deintyddion wedi ymrwymo i’r contract newydd a fyddai’n eu galluogi i weld cleifion newydd, cleifion GIG newydd, ym mhob rhan o Gymru.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Mae e-byst yn dal i fy nghyrraedd oddi wrth etholwyr pryderus sy’n methu â gweld deintydd gyda’r GIG, felly mae’n amlwg bod problem go iawn. Rwy’n annog y Prif Weinidog i gymryd camau brys.
