December 13, 2022 9.45 am This story is over 21 months old

New Lincolnshire mum struggling to find an NHS dentist

She tried every dentist in Grantham, Sleaford and Newark

A new mum in Grantham has been struggling to find an alternative dentist to join in her town since becoming pregnant with her baby, despite being entitled to free NHS dental care.

Stephanie Dickson was a patient at Appoline Dental Care on Dysart Road in Grantham, but the practice is moving its patients over to private care. It told BBC Look North the move is down to ongoing recruitment issues and to ensure it can still provide services to its patients.

However, there is a wider problem in Grantham as none of the town’s other surgeries are accepting adult NHS patients either. Stephanie has even tried every dentist in Sleaford and Newark too, but to no avail.

Stephanie told BBC Look North: “I’ve asked ‘can I be seen for the duration of my entitlement?’ and it’s still a firm no.

“I’m on Statutory Maternity Pay at the moment so it’s a little bit scary as to thinking about ‘can I afford it?’ ‘what if there’s something that needs doing to my teeth that is rather expensive’? 
So it’s just an entitlement that you’re given and you can’t even use.”

Pregnant women are entitled to free NHS dental care for up to 12 months after their baby is born. However, Stephanie is still struggling to find anywhere to provide it as nowhere is taking on new NHS adult patients in Grantham.

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