NHS Dentists in Scotland?

[Stravaig]

It's terrible trying to get an NHS dentist in some parts of England. Most won't take on any new NHS patients. We were lucky because we found a good dentist several years ago and she agreed to have us back when we were evac'd from Kyiv.

I'm wondering what the situation is like in SW Scotland. So, if anyone lives there or has recent experience I'd be very grateful.

Thanks.

[Myrkk]

Same as the rest of the UK I expect. We’ve just moved to yearly check-ups in Scotland, is that the same down south? We were lucky to find a dentist accepting NHS patients in the middle of the central belt, hopefully you can find one out west, you might just have to travel a little. We’ve now moved 40mins from our dentist but haven’t tried to find another one as we like where we are.

[Stravaig]

Hi Myrkk, I'm not sure that Scotland is the same as the rest of the UK for many things. Scotland is more civilised.

Also income tax is higher but you get more for your money. Council tax includes water. There are quite a few differences.

[Myrkk]

Council tax included water in Wales iirc from when I lived there.

I wouldn’t say we’re more civilised up here and you definitely don’t get more for your money. Work harder and try and improve your lot and useless will have it taxed off you in a jiffy so he can pretend we have a parliament rather than a devolved assembly then send it to other countries.

From when I left Scotland mid 20’s, to when I came back mid 40’s I can honestly say we’ve gone downhill in a lot of ways.

[Geoff]

Scotland is able to have better public services because the Barnett Formula that calculates the devolution grants is too generous so I am subsidising free further education in Scotland for example. I don't understand the pressure for independence as they would lose all this English money.

[Myrkk]

I don’t entirely agree with that Geoff. Every council ward apart from London and Kent is subsidised by Westminster. Those anre the only two council wards that make more than they spend. We, courtesy of the Barnett formula do get a relatively good return for the money we pay into Westminster but then so do the Midlands, Wales, Norfolk etc etc.

Our public services are on their knees, bins collected once a month, 12hr waiting times in A&E, 3 yr wait for hip replacements etc etc.

As far as free further education I have student debt and have just self funded my PGDip and MSc as SAAS the Scottish student grant award body refused me, natural Scot, a student loan as the Uni was not in Scotland.

Meanwhile useless has given 250k to a Palestinian group and lo and behold his parents in law were released the very next day, but he says a coincidence…erm!. They’re opening consulates abroad, why, we have no power? Then there’s the camper van, jaguar I think it was and the slight case of the missing money.

Scots are not stupid and we are trying to get them out but the voting system was changed by them up here so it is, I think, called proportional representation. This means they get in with a relatively small amount of voters.

I hate the division they have sown and the fact that a friendly rivalry has become something uglier. Only now are Scots feeling brave enough to openly decry the assembly and there are calls to scrap it as a failed experiment.

It’s very complicated and I don’t understand it all, but please don’t fall into the trap of Scot v England, we need to stick together.

[Westi]

No matter where you live in the UK we should all be trying really hard to support the health service, including dental care. Bevan created an institute that is still revered around the world & adapted by many countries even though some tweaks made the ethos was pretty close. It is crumbling in front of our eyes & being allowed to as the unions are not negotiating but demanding & can't met half way. I do feel for junior doctors but they knew when they signed their contracts there would be periods when you just had to stay on & they do get paid overtime or time off in lieu, not reflected or mentioned. The £'s on their placards does indicate their basic hourly rate but they are in training, the same as nurses but longer & more detailed but get the £'s compensation back big time when fully qualified.

Now there are nurses with extra skills to support them. If the demand is high, or sickness issues you just come in or stay on, as you are not doing the job for you but for your patients safety. I was a ward sister & called in regularly or had to stay on. I did the extra training when in charge of the community hospital nearby, & had to use these skills as no medical team available on site unless the outpatient clinics there were open. Time to stop the unions intervening as I suspect very few of them actually worked on the coal face for very long or long ago! (Soz that's a rant)!

[Myrkk]

Totally agree Westi. I was a non human nurse for 30yrs. You worked what was needed and knew what you were signing up for when you took the job. Difference being I was private sector so no union and no sick pay or other benefits.

Our successive Governments have led to bloated legislation that no-one is brave enough to streamline. If streamlined I believe it would save us millions and get councils and the NHS back on track. It’s a bit like being a politician, it should be a calling but too many things have become careers. This does not mean people shouldn’t get properly remunerated for their work, just that ££ shouldn’t be the driving factor.

I’m going to stop now… put my soapbox back in the box (alongside the bunny)

[oldherbaceous]

I think gardeners deserve more money……

[Myrkk]

Given the nature of the job and the weather they have to work in I agree OH. A bit like people who work on roads repairing them, working in such awful weather is hard on the body.

[oldherbaceous]

I still wouldn't change it for the world, though….

[Myrkk]

It’s lovely to have a job you love so much, so many people don’t get that. I’ve also been lucky enough to do jobs I loved throughout my life, bar an ill advised stint as a driving instructor *shudder*. Work has never seemed like work, even on the bad days

[Colin2016]

I believe nurses have to have a degree, if so does that apply to the administrators who are supposed to run the system?

Two thoughts...

Surely a degree is not needed care for someone.

As for hospitals that are failing the administrators should be held responsible as they are not doing their job properly.

[Myrkk]

I agree Colin. It’s a very practical job that requires hands on training. Specialisms may require the degree route. They changed my old nursing vocation to a degree qualification and I have seen it degrade the work that is done. Students come to clinic and don’t want to get their hands dirty, literally (albeit in gloves).

[Westi]

Hi Colin, Our administrators are literally just directed to do something which is more along the lines or keeping records, cancelling appointments etc. . Each speciality has a senior nurse manager/matron & named consultants & ward sisters who are the decision makers when times get rough, which is pretty constant with A&E full to bursting. So many people with metal health needs are just not picked up by the correct services. We have a full mental health team on site, independently run & funded & they are very experienced seniors, & will move the genuine folk needing support to the appropriate centre, but they dismiss those with symptoms that do not meet the mental health remit like personality disorders. Trying to get these to leave the hospital is a right pain as they require security & even the police to evict them, as they tend to set off alarms & assault people for attention. Not good fun & terrifying for other patients!

Nurses do need a degree to correctly nurse & care for a patient in hospital now days as only the sickest patients are admitted, there are other teams to pick up those that can be cared for by GP teams at home. Our care assistants are chosen by interview as show the right criteria to progress & be funded by the hospital to train & given the time off to join other students being trained at university. Even if they can't commit to this, they are still trained up do more duties related to their experience gained, but all staff should be hands on washing, dressing & providing support & reassurance. But the public wanted the matron back, & now, like then a lot of matron's don't get hands on.

The NHS is breaking itself internally, not helped with strikes & the like & some staff just won't flex unless renumerated with £'s extra now, but actually we have a very generous pension plan. How to fix??? Hmm??