Allow dentists and opticians to work

Why can't these NHS staff be provided with appropriate PPE and some for patients to open premises to offer services to patients?

Why the contribution is important

There is a terrific backlog building up - teeth need regular checks while opticians services are really important for the older population in particular when changes come faster than those younger?

by Zola on May 05, 2020 at 07:41PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.9
Based on: 83 votes

Comments

  • Posted by bun107 May 05, 2020 at 20:10

    With the appropriate PPE and strict (do not come to your appointment but cancel if you are showing any symptoms of Covid-19) protocols both Opticians and Dentists could be doing more than just emergency work.

  • Posted by amw May 05, 2020 at 20:28

    It is essential that both dentist and optician services are reinstated without delay.

  • Posted by Leopardwolf May 05, 2020 at 20:28

    I bought new glasses just before lockdown but couldn’t have them fitted, because fitting is required I can not use them as there is something not right and suffer constant headaches as a result. A five minute consultation would resolve this and appropriate PPE could be used

  • Posted by mg68 May 05, 2020 at 20:47

    Totally agree.

  • Posted by MagsL May 05, 2020 at 21:51

    Dentist already practice rigid hygiene and sterile procedures. With adjustments on people arriving and departing practices and patients using PPE too, it would be surely feasible to allow dentistry to read-open. Leaving patients with infections, decay and part complete treatments is just building up wider issues. Let’s get ideas from the NHS and private dentist of how they and their lab partners can re-open safely.

  • Posted by MINTO May 05, 2020 at 23:17

    Please let dentists reopen quickly with the correct safety equipment. Keeping them closed is harming the health of public - both physically and mentally. It is causing real trauma for those suffering and in pain. There has been no information as to how long practices are likely to remain closed. I think the public have been treated shamefully in this respect.

  • Posted by MaddyBisset May 06, 2020 at 06:56

    I really need an eye test and new glasses. You can get the same prescription if it's an emergency (broken glasses) but you can't have your eyes tested. Considering the price of glasses this is silly as prescriptions can change quite dramatically. Give these workers PPE and allow them to work.

  • Posted by Sarahj May 06, 2020 at 07:33

    I agree...... to be left in pain from toothache for an indefinite amount of time is soul crushing

  • Posted by AlexMD May 06, 2020 at 07:41

    Agree. They should never have shut.

  • Posted by MargaretR19 May 06, 2020 at 08:14

    I dont see how this can work in a fragile situation...emergency only for medium term .should be longer term for opening generally ..

  • Posted by Cokell May 06, 2020 at 09:29

    Dentist and Orthodontists already have strict hygiene procedures in place. With a limit on the number of patients being seen they should be allowed to re-open.

  • Posted by Sallymair May 06, 2020 at 09:38

    I was surprised that all dental treatment stopped. Dentists and their nurses /health colleagues already wear good PPE and a simple temperature type check as used in other countries, should help ensure that they and their patients are well at time of treatment Dental treatment is essential and when left causes further potentially long term and expensive complications .

  • Posted by Balderdash May 06, 2020 at 18:05

    Access to eye tests and screening should be a priority, especially for children. It is not always clear if a young child has a vision problem and the pre-school screening programmes are vital, together with full eye tests being available. Children can be left with life-long vision issues if lazy eyes or vision difficulties not corrected before age 7 and they often need frequent appointments when first wearing glasses. Children are often unable to express if they have a vision problem It should be possible to limit appointments and change any waiting area to meet social distancing standards and for opticians to wear PPE. Dental check ups likewise should not be seen as routine but a key part of prevention of future problems. Again dentists could wear PPE and should reopen

  • Posted by AlanB May 07, 2020 at 12:12

    I've been waiting since before lockdown on my new glasses being produced - Boots are closed and the only telephone conversation I've had indicates 'they are in production and will be sent to the store'. I may start bumping into things soon!

  • Posted by Loulou1954 May 07, 2020 at 17:36

    Dentists should be top of the list for 're opening! They are part of NHS and an imperative part of good health.

  • Posted by MaryL May 08, 2020 at 10:16

    I couldn't agree more that dentists are part of the NHS and ensure good health and should be allowed to open. I am about to lose one of my top front teeth, which is wobbling away and a filling has come out of another tooth. I don't have any pain and therefore this is not an emergency. However, if I don't get treatment soon, there could be long-term effects. Surely if a dentist agreed to treat me, he/she should be allowed to do so? A dentist could have some PPE and it would be up to him/her to make a judgement as to whether to treat or not.

  • Posted by Bill May 08, 2020 at 14:20

    Is anyone reading this?are those ideas been actually watched from Scot government?can someone from the admins response? Why the gov not opening the Dentist practices and the opticians?is this advised from the gov scientists?why the are hearing the science advicor who drove the UK(& Scotland)to the highest death rate position in Europe and in Scotland worst R number. WE ARE IN PAIN. WE NEED DOCS. IS ANYONE READING THOSE IDEAS? Please release a date for returning of general surgery, opticians and practices back. PPE exist. Booked can be done. We are in pain. I want to obey the rules but i need to feel well. We are in PAIN.

  • Posted by Anonymous1 May 08, 2020 at 19:38

    Dentists should be considered as essential as doctors.

  • Posted by Heron May 09, 2020 at 14:48

    We need opticians to reopen. With lorry drivers and delivery drivers being vital right now we need to know that they can see sufficiently well to drive.

  • Posted by Sarah25 May 09, 2020 at 21:16

    Agree for Dentists /Opticians to be opened. So we have to go about in pain/vision issues till when? There are many other health issues than Covid-19!!

  • Posted by AMMAC May 11, 2020 at 00:26

    Difficult to understand why opticians can't work. Slightly more problem with dentist but allow them to work and explain to patients that there will continue to be some procedures which will not be possible at this stage.

  • Posted by Greenside85 May 11, 2020 at 16:58

    NHS dental practices aren’t owned or run by the NHS, they receive NHS funding on a fee per item basis. The NHS don’t provide individual practices with PPE instead it is the responsibility of the practice, they pay for it. With the cost of PPE increasing, proposed downtime between patients an NHS practices costs will increase and earnings will be down. The only way round this is for SG to provide PPE directly, for SG to increase NHS dental fees (patient contributions) or for all NHS practices to stop providing NHS treatment and change to private to allow them to function as a business and also provide the correct level of care to their patients.

  • Posted by rptcal May 11, 2020 at 18:50

    Yes, with appropriate PPE and hygiene.
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