Angela Burns AM today (April 10) called on the Welsh Government to better support dentist working in emergency dental hubs during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
She made the plea after hearing the First Minister admit in today’s Coronavirus briefing that the
Welsh Government "doesn't have the luxury" of being able to plan ahead to provide personal protective equipment (PPE).
Although the First Minister made his remarks specifically about local authorities, Mrs Burns – the Shadow Health Minister – said:
“While I appreciate his candour, it has been pretty obvious now that the Welsh Government is failing to provide the absolutely vital PPE for people on the frontline in this battle.
“We must remember that people are going to become ill from diseases other than Coronavirus, and yes, people will still develop dental conditions that require emergency treatment.”
She referred to recent warnings from dentists that people will lose teeth because of high demand for personal protective equipment in hospitals and care homes. Some patients have reportedly taken desperate measures to self-treat dental problems, including one woman who said she replaced a filling with Blu Tack as a result of limited services.
Mrs Burns said:
“One dentist in Wales said that he and colleagues faced ‘horribly difficult ethical dilemmas’, and he added ‘It may boil down to the question of is it better to save a tooth, or is it better to save a life’.
“An oral surgeon here has reportedly written to First Minister saying that protective supplies were running out with potentially ‘catastrophic’ effects on healthcare staff.
“This, quite frankly, is unacceptable.
“Up and down Wales, my fellow Welsh Conservative Members are hearing the same sorts of stories. It’s past the time that the Welsh Government should have got to grips with the crisis within a crisis of insufficient PPE for our tireless healthcare, social care, and dental care staff.
“They deserve better, and I am calling on the First Minister and the Health Minister to provide answers.”