What are your experiences of NHS dental services in Shropshire?
News from our partners Healthwatch Shropshire
Healthwatch Shropshire wants to know what people think about NHS dental services in the county. Feedback will be used to build up a picture about variations in ease of access, how happy people are with the quality of treatment they receive, and issues to do with waiting times, for example.
Healthwatch Shropshire is keen to ensure that feedback given by the public plays a key role in the future regulation of the dental sector. Feedback will be shared (anonymised) with those who provide, commission and regulate NHS dentistry to ensure that the system works for everyone. It will also be shared to ensure that those at risk of missing out on services – such as those in care homes – are not forgotten about.
Jane Randall-Smith, Chief Officer of Healthwatch Shropshire, said:
“We want to ensure that dental professionals in Shropshire better understand people’s experiences.
“Your feedback really can make a difference. We have already shared earlier feedback with NHS England to highlight gaps in provision. This has contributed to an increase in services for over 800 patients in Shrewsbury and Market Drayton.”
Healthwatch Shropshire can also signpost patients to accurate and useful information about where to go for dental treatment and what they can expect.
To contact Healthwatch Shropshire for signposting or to share an experience about a local service phone 01743 237884, email enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk or go online www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk. The more comments received the more influence Healthwatch Shropshire has to improve services for local people.
Healthwatch Shropshire is the independent health and social care champion for people in Shropshire. It gathers the views and experiences of patients, carers, and the general public about services, including hospitals, GPs, mental health services, community health services, pharmacists, dentists, opticians, residential care and home care services. It then makes reports and recommendations about how these services could or ought to be improved based on the information received from members of the public. This is shared with providers and commissioners of services who have a statutory duty to listen to Healthwatch and act on the information it shares with them.
