A new digital service to support access to NHS dental care in Wales is to be launched during this autumn.
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) said the Dental Access Portal is currently being piloted by Powys Teaching Health Board and will be rolled out nationally later in the year.
It will provide a central platform for allocating places for routine treatment at NHS dental practices.
Currently, there are significant variations in the allocation of NHS dentist places between health boards in Wales, which makes it difficult to measure the level of demand locally and nationally.
Under the pilot in Powys, people who are already on a health board dental waiting list have been automatically added to the Dental Access Portal. They will be prioritised based on when they joined the existing list and given the opportunity to opt out, should they wish to, by logging into the portal or by contacting their health board.
Patient process
New patients who are not already on the Powys Teaching Health Board waiting list for routine NHS dental treatment will be invited to apply through the Dental Access Portal. Powys patients without digital access can continue to contact the health board’s dental helpline by phone.
After joining the portal, patients will be able to securely log in to check on the status of their application.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said: “The new portal will help patients in Powys avoid spending time calling round dental practices seeking an NHS dentist.
“This is one of many improvements we are making to improve access to NHS dental services, and I look forward to the portal being rolled out across Wales.”
