Refugees in the UK are calling on authorities to allow them to help the NHS in the face of dental access issues.
This comes as members of the public increasingly face issues trying to access an NHS dentist.
Fran Wood is chair of Darlington Assistance for Refugees (DAR), a group currently campaigning for a more accessible route into work for trained dentists who are seeking asylum.
She said there are at least 10 skilled dentists in the area, reports the BBC.
She said: ‘I can’t even imagine how frustrating they must find it.
‘They are highly skilled yet sitting in their homes becoming deskilled while people in our neighbourhoods are pulling out their own teeth.’
Provisional registration proposals
The government recently proposed plans to allow dentists from abroad to work in the UK without taking the overseas registration exam (ORE).
Subject to a three-month consultation, the plan would enable overseas-qualified dentists who have not yet achieved full GDC registration to be able to work in the UK more quickly through the introduction of a system of provisional registration.
Provisional registration would allow an overseas-qualified dentist to practise in any dental setting, including high street dental practices, under the supervision of a dentist who has full registration on GDC’s register.
The GDC would be given powers in setting the terms of provisional registrations.
The BDA criticised the plans, urging the government to take further action to address the UK dental system as a whole. It said: ‘Ministers need to stop trying to fill a leaky bucket, and actually fix it.’
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