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Rob Gibson - Scottish National Party

Pensioners Toothache Trip To Snowy Golspie

Rob Gibson SNP Says it is because LibLab Executive train too few dentists!

'No matter how they wring their hands LibDem and Labour MSPs have only themselves to blame. Firstly Tony Blair in 1997 and then Donald Dewar and his successors from 1999 onwards have failed to reverse the previous Tory cuts and train sufficient dentists or doctors to meet the country's needs.

As Thurso bears the brunt today, I can report a pensioner friend's two recent journeys from west Caithness to a Golspie dentist to seek pain relief. How long will he have to make this 150 mile round trip?'

As promised Rob Gibson, prospective Scottish Parliamentary candidate reported to both Thurso and Wick SNP Branch AGMs last Thursday on the Caithness dental crisis. He continued, 'I will hear no more excuses in the press from our local MSP, the Lib Dems are making no difference in coalition power. We could wait another five years and still the graduate dentists will be inadequate. In a devastating report last week NHS Education for Scotland has reported* that in 2003-4 Scottish dental schools will fail to reach the agreed output of 120 graduates for the whole country. they may reach 110 if we are lucky. Given 20% move elsewhere 30% of training practices will be without a trainee, the report concludes that Scotland faces a severe shortage. The SNP will make the matter of missing health professionals from rural areas a top health priority.

'I welcome the election of Ian Clark and Bill Brown as Convener and Secretary of the Thurso Branch and Hamish MacLeod and James Sutherland as their equivalents in Wick.'

* Education and training for the dental team in remote and rural regions of Scotland.
see NHS Scotland Education website.