‘DIY dentistry’ on the rise as Devon NHS access falters

Devon is suffering a ‘digital divide’ leaving people unable to access vital services and stopping businesses from growing, it has been claimed.

Speaking during a Westminster debate, South Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden said too many people in the area are being cut off by poor broadband infrastructure.

And she criticised fibre broadband provider Airband, which last year scaled back an ambitious plan to boost connections across rural Devon and Somerset.

Mrs Voaden told fellow MPs: “Airband promised to deliver, but was allowed to fail spectacularly across my constituency.

“It is outrageous that a company like Airband is allowed to pick off the easy bits and then walk away when it comes to the more expensive bits of the contract.”

Airband said at the time that a ‘restructure’ had forced it to scale back its plans.

Mrs Voaden listed local rural communities where signal is poor, patchy or non-existent.

“I myself used to have to have a satellite connection on the roof of my house to connect to a station in Italy in order to get internet connection,” she said. “Despite repeated assurances from providers and governments, very little progress has been made.

“We can go to space, but we cannot connect to the internet. It just seems ridiculous.”

She said reliable broadband is crucial for older people to access GP appointments, personal alarms and emergency calls.

“Without it, they are left isolated and vulnerable,” she said. “Young people in my area are being denied equal educational opportunities. Local businesses are missing out on the digital economy. Families are struggling with unreliable services.

“Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity, and it is time to treat rural communities with the same priority as urban areas.”

Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, also weighed into the debate on Airband.

He said: “Alternative providers ought to be found that can fill the gap left by companies such as Airband when they give up in places like Branscombe, Churchill and East Devon.”

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Lib Dem MPs also called on the county’s Integrated Care Board (ICB) to “up its game”. They claim there are holes in the NHS contract with dentists, issues with recruitment and retention, and problems with accessing care.

Latest NHS statistics show that only half of the children covered by Devon’s ICB saw a dentist in 2022–2023, the last period for which there is data. Six out of 10 adults haven’t seen a dentist in the last two years.

One in five people are reported to have turned to ‘DIY dentistry’ in desperation.

“This is simply not good enough,” said Tiverton and Minehead Lib Dem MP Rachel Gilmour. “The government and local ICBs need to step up to the plate.

“Without wholesale reform to the dental contract, and the way in which NHS dentistry is prioritised, patients will continue to have to fight simply to access much-needed dental care.”

Torbay’s Steve Darling said the Bay is a “dental desert”, and South Devon’s Caroline Voaden added: “The government needs to urgently reassess our call for health care providers to be exempted from its painful jobs tax, and commit to turning around this shameful situation in NHS dentistry.”