Allow other allied health professionals to return to work - dentists, Physiotherapists, Opticians, Podiatrists

People should be allowed to see their Dentist , Physiotherapist , Optician etc. Clinics and appointments could be adapted so that optimal social distancing is provided , with appropriate PPE and hygiene measures. This would help ease the wider burden on GP's and the NHS and allow patients to continue to get help with non- covid issues outside of the secondary healthcare setting .

Why the contribution is important

People have other healthcare issues beyond Covid that they have been denied help with because of lockdown . An easing of restrictions would allow people to access help as needed from other healthcare professionals in their community .

by Jomccolgan on May 05, 2020 at 02:59PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.9
Based on: 58 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Braynis May 05, 2020 at 16:49

    Dental patients scheduled for treatment could be tested for covid. Cancelling all treatment except emergency care is creating backlogs, causing suffering and damage while people wait until their condition deteriorates until it becomes an emergency.

  • Posted by LauraJones May 06, 2020 at 12:10

    Dental treatment needs to resume. People are suffering without these vital services

  • Posted by Bill May 06, 2020 at 12:46

    Toothpain might result to other problems. PPE should be provided. Other eu countries never seize at all the dental surgeries. Please re open dental practices immediately. Is more than 7 weeks of severe pain without any information and update.

  • Posted by louiseday May 06, 2020 at 15:01

    Dentists should be one of the first to open. Even before covid they always wore ppe/masks and are professional enough to assess risk and decide which treatments might be high risk and decide accordingly.

    I was in the middle of treatment when lockdown started and I know many friends suffering waiting for them to reopen so it is likely they will have backlogs to deal with too.

  • Posted by AMcD May 06, 2020 at 19:48

    Dentists should reopen as soon as they can safely do so - but this may need them to be supported with PPE / adjustments. But we cannot go on with no dental treatment available.

  • Posted by krisgreid May 06, 2020 at 19:58

    Completely agree! I’m paying for Denplan so want to get access to my dentist for checkups etc as I’ve had a lot of issues in the past and I don’t want to have a bigger issue that could have been dealt with sooner.

    Also I need to see a Podiatrist at every 2 to 3 months because I have a toe nail that grows in wrong all the time so this service is vital to me because I’m type 1 diabetic!!!

  • Posted by Reid2020 May 06, 2020 at 21:45

    Restoring basic healthcare should be the absolute priority, way above reopening shops (as much as I would love a McDonald's right now).

    I speak with a vested interest because I really, really need to see a dentist due to ongoing problems and I'm sure I'm not alone. The longer these are closed, the more problems are stocked up for the very near future and the more the viability of these dentists is challenged. The blanket ban on basic dentistry also seems unwise given some dentists may well be able to prove they can adapt and make their facilities safe for patients to come in. We shouldn't just hold off until everyone is ready.

    Beyond that though, there are hugely important surgeries and treatments which have been declared "elective" which are life-changing for the people affected. My worry is we end up in a situation where controls are loosened at Westminster, eg IVF, and then it becomes a somewhat bleak version of "except for viewers in Scotland" as we play things incredibly safely (or so we think, until a decision has a drastic impact on someone's physical/mental health).

    I imagine most people would understand why everything was put on hold for a few months, and there will be challenges getting different sectors up and running. But delay things too long and there's going to be a huge wave of suffering which could result in people wondering why they're bothering, frankly.

  • Posted by Bigshire May 07, 2020 at 12:32

    Dental care isn't optional it is essential for good health. Many more serious diseases like renal disease and heart disease are common in patients with dental disease.
    Chiropractors are also essential for keeping patients healthy and OFF unnecessary drugs that mask the actual problem instead of treating the cause.

  • Posted by RitchieHalley May 07, 2020 at 15:53

    Dentists have basically closed during lockdown and are only dealing with "emergencies". However in my view, dentistry is primary care and just as important as GP's. People with low immune systems cannot chance getting infections that in their mouth that then may travel down into the rest of their bodies and potential cause much more harm. Dentists should be continuing to provide care as normal during lockdown.

    I know personally of a few people who have lost fillings during lockdown and was told by their dentist surgery that this is not emergency. However, this can lead to getting an abscess (which is classed as an emergency), which for some people could lead to more serious health issues. It seems to me not dealing with regular dentistry (fillings etc), is only going to cause bigger problems further down the road.

  • Posted by ACW May 07, 2020 at 16:07

    I have few points to add to the issue of dentistry.

    I am told by my dentist that I will not be admitted to emergency unless in addition to pain I have a fever and swelling. These alongside an infection are common symptoms of sepsis. Sepsis usually requires antibiotics and in many cases hospitalisation. If left untreated sceptic shock develops which kills 1 in 3 people. Early detection is crucial for recovery. All patients with sepsis symptoms should be tested for it when treated by emergency dentist.

    Perhaps given right PPE at the practice and testing for patients we could have some dentists reopen in a limited capacity to treat urgent cases that are not bad enough to be seen by emergency dentist but are likely to get worse overtime.

    If this is not possible due to nature of coronavirus then we should have a clear guidelines given to dentists about the minimum period of time they will remain closed for and what constitutes an emergency. Otherwise we are risking them making wrong decisions.

    To illustrate, I have a gum infection since a month. I was already put on two different antibiotics and went through week of agonising pain. The infection is ‘under control’ even though I am still on painkillers daily. If it gets worse I might not be able to take antibiotics again due to risk of developing resistance. This infection will get worse, its simply a matter of time, my dentist said so. My dentist is insisting that ‘it will only be another 3 weeks or so’ before they can see me and that the tooth is worth saving. I have no confidence in his decision. I am concerned that his judgement is impaired due to a lack of information about how soon dentist will reopen.

  • Posted by Loulou1954 May 07, 2020 at 16:31

    I absolutely agree dentists should be top of the list for reopening!
    I have had 2 temporary crowns in for the last 8 weeks instead of 2 in prep of a bridge.
    I have a very irritated and sore gum. How they can expect front line workers to work with mouth problems is ridiculous!!!

  • Posted by Lcskye May 08, 2020 at 09:31

    I would add veterinary care to this list, not just limited to emergencies as many concerns not dealt with and seemingly not an emergency, can quickly develop into welfare issues

  • Posted by Anonymous1 May 08, 2020 at 19:32

    Cannot emphasise enough the need for dentistry.

  • Posted by SaveScottishdentistry May 10, 2020 at 10:36

    Scottish dentists genuinely fear for the future of both NHS and private dentistry in our country and the subsequent dental health of our patients. Our patients are suffering and our government has, ultimately, to find a rapid solution to allow dental practices to safely treat them. The longer that practices are closed with insufficient funding, the more likely a severe shortage of dentists and lack of dental care for our country.

  • Posted by Applepie May 10, 2020 at 12:52

    I'm really struggling without opticians. Broke my glasses so have to use my old ones causing headaches. Also have condition that can lead to blindness that I get checked quarterly. Very worrying I can't get checked. Facemasks for patients and visors and masks for opticians, surely that can be made safe.

  • Posted by Llynn May 11, 2020 at 16:19

    GPS surgeries should be reopened as soon as possible too....
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