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A problem not close to home

BDJ In Practice volume 32, pages 10–14 (2019)Cite this article

According to History.co.uk, the most remote and isolated place in the United Kingdom lies 12 miles off the coast of Devon, is only 5km long and has less than 20 residents. Lundy Island has a pub - naturally - a restaurant, one or two general stores, holiday cottages, and that's about it. So for residents, an extravagant round-trip to the dentist is nothing out of the ordinary - if anything it's to be expected.

And, in an ironic twist of fate, residents of Lundy Island don't even face the longest round-trip to visit an NHS dentist. Official sites are now directing patients to undertake epic journeys to get an appointment.1The NHS.uk service is currently pointing new adult patients in Barrow-in-Furness to the nearest available practice in Whitehaven, a round trip of 90 miles. BDA analysis shows new patients across England are looking at round trips of over 40 miles, with some reliant on public transport facing over four hours in transit.

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References

  1. British Dental Association. Research based on NHS.uk and Google Maps. Data on file. March 2019.

  2. Cumbria Tourism. News release. Available online at: www.cumbriatourism.org/cumbrias-tourism-economy-now-worth-2-9billion/ (Accessed March 2019).

  3. RightMove.co.uk. Available online at: www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?country=england&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1461&searchLocation=Windermere&referrer=listChangeCriteria (Accessed March 2019).

  4. RightMove.co.uk. Available online at: www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?country=england&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E307&searchLocation=Chelmsford&referrer=listChangeCriteria (Accessed March 2019).

  5. British Dental Association. Research based on data from the 2018 GP Survey, by Ipsos Mori on behalf of NHS England. Data on file. February 2019.

  6. British Dental Association. Figures from 2018 BDA surveys of General Dental Practitioners and Specialist Practitioners. Data on file. March 2019.

  7. Gov.uk. Hospital tooth extractions of 0 to 19 years old. Available online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-tooth-extractions-of-0-to-19-year-olds (Accessed March 2019).

  8. Institute of Health Equity. Fair Society Healthy Lives (The Marmot Review). Available online at: www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review (Accessed March 2019).

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  1. Editor, BDJ In Practice, British Dental Association, 64 Wimpole Street, London, UK

    David Westgarth

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  1. David Westgarth
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Correspondence to David Westgarth.

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Westgarth, D. A problem not close to home. BDJ In Pract 32, 10–14 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-019-0001-z

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