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Oral Medicine, no provision

Posted By Kayceee

"Oral Medicine, no provision"

About: Edinburgh Dental Institute / Oral Surgery & Medicine

(as the patient),

I would love to be writing a positive story about my experience with the Oral Medicine department at NHS Lothian, but as of this month I have been waiting two years for an appointment with no date in sight. My condition is not classed as urgent (i.e. cancer), but it is a problem for me nonetheless and I am patiently waiting in the hope that I can get help. I am aware of the lack of a consultant for some months, but communication is non-existent. I paid privately for a consultation, only to be told to wait for the NHS appointment as they are in a better position to offer treatment!

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Responses

Response from Lorraine Canning, Clinical Service Manager, NHS Lothian yesterday
Lorraine Canning
Clinical Service Manager,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 03/04/2025 at 16:00
Published on Care Opinion at 16:19

Hello Kayceee

Please accept our sincere apologies for the length of wait that you have had to be seen within Oral Medicine at the Edinburgh Dental Institute.

We have been trying to recruit to consultant a vacancy over the last year and as such we had only managed to secure a locum to assist us 2 days per week. There is a national shortage of Oral Medicine specialists within the UK which has not helped. As of Tuesday 2nd April we have had a substantive consultant start with us and we are hoping that he will be able to start working on our routine waiting list as soon as possible. There are a lot of patients similarly in your position and this may take him some time to work his way through the list. We will do our best to see every patient as soon as possible.

I am sorry that we have let you down in our communication and I wish to apologise for this.

Lorraine Canning

Clinical Service manager

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