Urgent action must be taken by the Welsh Government to ensure residents across South East Wales can access an NHS dentist when they need to, Natasha Asghar MS has urged.
The South East Wales politician told the Welsh Parliament this week that getting a dentist appointment was “becoming a living hell” for many residents.
Natasha told the chamber on Wednesday (Jan 10): “Residents are forced to tolerate pain as they struggle to secure an appointment or even find a dentist on the NHS in the first place.
“One elderly constituent of mine was forced to travel across the border into England to pay for private treatment as she struggled to find a local practice to see her on the NHS.”
The MS also revealed she was forced to take her own mother into England for treatment because the practice she was with failed to help when she needed it.
She told the Welsh Government’s health minister Eluned Morgan MS: “Going private simply isn’t an option for many of my constituents.
“I am sure you’ll agree minister that stories like the ones I just shared aren’t acceptable, and that people all across Wales should have easy access to NHS dentists.”
Natasha asked the health minister what steps the Welsh Government is taking to ensure more people can be seen by NHS dentists in reasonable time.
Eluned Morgan said the Welsh Government had spent a significant amount of time trying to reorganise the sector by introducing a new contract, which the health minister claimed has resulted in dentists taking on new patients.
The minister said: “The fact is that nearly 290,000 new patients have received treatment since April 2022, which is not an insignificant amount, including 50,000 people within the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area.
“Now are they taking on enough? No, because, obviously, there’s been a reduction, partly as a result of the pandemic and new methods that you have to undertake to make sure that there’s no spread of infections.”
Commenting after the exchange in the chamber, Natasha Asghar MS said:
“Being able to see an NHS dentist in a timely manner is something every resident in South East Wales and beyond should be able to do as far as I am concerned.
“I have heard some truly shocking stories of residents removing their own teeth as they can’t wait in pain any longer and others being forced to cough up vast amounts of money to receive treatment. This is unacceptable.
“Whilst I appreciate the minister’s response to my question, it’s clear more urgent action is needed from the Welsh Government to finally get a grip on this issue.”
____________________________________________________________________
Mae Natasha Asghar AS wedi annog Llywodraeth Cymru i weithredu ar unwaith i sicrhau bod preswylwyr ledled Dwyrain De Cymru yn gallu cael mynediad at ddeintydd y GIG pan fydd angen.
Dywedodd yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Dwyrain De Cymru wrth y Senedd yr wythnos hon bod cael apwyntiad deintydd yn brofiad erchyll i nifer o breswylwyr.
Dywedodd Natasha wrth y siambr ddydd Mercher (10 Ionawr): "Mae trigolion yn cael eu gorfodi i oddef poen wrth iddyn nhw gael trafferth sicrhau apwyntiad neu hyd yn oed ddod o hyd i ddeintydd y GIG yn y lle cyntaf.
"Gorfodwyd un etholwr oedrannus i deithio dros y ffin i Loegr i dalu am driniaeth breifat wrth iddi gael trafferth dod o hyd i ddeintyddfa leol i'w gweld ar y GIG."
Datgelodd yr AS hefyd ei bod wedi cael ei gorfodi i fynd â'i mam ei hun i Loegr am driniaeth oherwydd bod ei deintyddfa arferol wedi methu â helpu pan oedd ei angen arni.
Dywedodd wrth weinidog iechyd Llywodraeth Cymru, Eluned Morgan AS: "Dyw mynd yn breifat ddim yn opsiwn i lawer o’m hetholwyr.
"Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi’n cytuno, Weinidog, nad yw straeon fel y rhai rydw i newydd eu rhannu yn dderbyniol, ac y dylai pobl ledled Cymru gael mynediad hawdd at ddeintyddion y GIG."
Gofynnodd Natasha i'r Gweinidog Iechyd pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn gallu cael eu gweld gan ddeintyddion y GIG mewn amser rhesymol.
Dywedodd Eluned Morgan fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi treulio cryn dipyn o amser yn ceisio ad-drefnu'r sector drwy gyflwyno cytundeb newydd, ac roedd y Gweinidog Iechyd yn honni ei fod wedi arwain at ddeintyddion yn derbyn cleifion newydd.
Meddai’r Gweinidog: "Y ffaith yw bod bron i 290,000 o gleifion newydd wedi cael triniaeth ers Ebrill 2022, sydd yn ffigur sylweddol, gan gynnwys 50,000 o bobl yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan.
"Ydyn nhw'n derbyn digon? Na, oherwydd, yn amlwg, bu gostyngiad, yn rhannol o ganlyniad i'r pandemig a dulliau newydd y mae'n rhaid i chi eu cyflawni i sicrhau nad oes unrhyw heintiau yn lledaenu."
Yn siarad ar ôl y drafodaeth yn y siambr, dywedodd Natasha Asghar AS:
"Mae gallu gweld deintydd GIG yn brydlon yn rhywbeth y dylai pob preswylydd yn Ne-ddwyrain Cymru a thu hwnt allu ei wneud yn fy marn i.
"Rwyf wedi clywed straeon gwirioneddol syfrdanol am drigolion yn tynnu eu dannedd eu hunain gan na allant aros mewn poen mwyach ac eraill yn cael eu gorfodi i dalu symiau enfawr o arian i dderbyn triniaeth. Mae hyn yn annerbyniol.
"Er fy mod yn gwerthfawrogi ymateb y Gweinidog i'm cwestiwn, mae'n amlwg bod angen i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu ar unwaith i ddatrys y broblem hon unwaith ac am byth."
