Long waits for prior approval raised in Scottish Parliament
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- Published: Thursday, 15 May 2014 07:44
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The British Dental Association in Scotland has been contacted by members who are becoming increasingly frustrated by lengthy delays in getting the go-ahead for treatment plans, with many dentists footing the bill themselves rather than wait for funding. The matter was recently raised in the Scottish Parliament.
The matter has also been raised in the Scottish Parliament by MSP Hanzala Malik (Labour). He asked when the Secretary for Health and Wellbeing last met representatives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to discuss dentistry.
Replying Michael Matheson said that Ministers and Government officials regularly meet national health service boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to discuss health matters, including dentistry.
Following up Hanzala Malik said: “I am concerned about a number of gravely ill and vulnerable people who have been forced to wait months for approval for dental treatment. A seriously concerned constituent informed me about an elderly lady with dementia who required a home visit to get new dentures but who had to wait nearly two months for approval, during which time she was unable to eat. In another case, the dentist of a cancer patient who lost 5 stone and whose dentures no longer fitted decided to cover the cost of the dentures himself rather than wait for permission. What is the minister doing to ensure that people who are seriously unwell or vulnerable and who require home dental visits receive them and that patients are not being unnecessarily traumatised?
The Minister replied: “I recognise the concern that the member has raised. I would be concerned if individuals were waiting for unacceptably long periods of time for the practitioner services division to approve particular forms of treatment. Of course, there can be a number of reasons for a delay in approval, such as insufficient information being submitted. However, if there is no such reason, I expect the practitioner services division to respond to requests timeously. I also expect priority to be given to individuals who have an urgent need for treatment to be agreed. If the member wishes to furnish me with specific examples, I am more than happy to make sure that the practitioner services division looks into them and provides an explanation for any delay. I am also happy to give him an assurance that I will ask my officials to make sure that the practitioner services division prioritises high priority cases and has a robust mechanism in place to allow that to happen. If he gives me specific examples, I am more than happy to make sure that they are investigated thoroughly and that he gets a response.”
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