Patsy here [UK]... I have been to new dentist today and it occurs to me that most of our dentists operate from premises that were previously a large old house.
Today the surgery was up a narrow staircase with a curve at the top. I presume it is too narrow to fit a stair lift.
I have tried googling dentists with disabled facilities but there doesnt seem to be any.
I was able to climb stairs but there must be many who could not.
The receptionist asked me if I could manage stairs and I replied, what is the alternative? She said, it is entirely up to you. Hmm.. take it or leave it. My husband intervened and said, dont worry, I will help her up.
Anyone else experienced the lack of disabled facilities in UK dentists? Or maybe I should say England.
I recently had to visit a dentist in wembley park. The dentist I used had entrance on the pavement."“so disabled friendly.”"“it helps as I am in in a wheelchair”"."the dentist. Was good and understandiing
My NHS dentist here in Wales has a surgery downstairs for those who cannot climb stairs. The private dentist clinic I know in Swansea is in a big, modern building with elevators.
I find the entry into a GP surgery more difficult. Also hospitals. The doors are always difficult to open which makes it almost impossible to enter in a wheelchair, without help.
Do they have any laws that commercial bldgs. and public places must meet minimal access for the handicap. Here in the states if you don't meet legal minimums theres a lawyer who will sue you and collect. Here where I live in Sacramento area he has closed businesses that could not afford to revamp their property and went out of business. He has caused the disabled community a lot of grief, they look at you now as all sue happy.
I am due to go to the dentist also.The dentist is downstairs and the hygienist upstairs.Luckily there is a chair lift there which goes round the corner but it means you have to leave walker and in my case now ,the wheelchair at the bottom.Then you have to somehow get into the chair for the usual lecture which you know anyway!!
Needless to say I haven't been for two years.The toothpaste gets all over my face. I have had to give up with floss.The mind boggles.
Shocking state of affairs Marie... dentist are supposed to do the scrape and polish themselves and they get paid for this by NHS.
I contacted SCOPE about it as they campaign for disabled and they phoned me back for a chat. They have given me the website address to complain -m The General Dentist Council.
Thanks for the advice Patsy.I did not know Scope championed the disabled.I was married first time to a dentist so I know the theory but the practical defies me now. It seems standard practice to allocate you to a hygienist.Sadly I have had to register with a private dentist and a hygienist.Is there special dispensations or rights for the disabled?
Not that I know of.. apparently new dental surgeries are required by law to make provision for disabled but this surgery are not new as such, they already had a surgery, then opened one in another building. Bit dubious me thinks. Going to make a fuss when I get round to it.
Urgh... I've been trying to swap dentists for ages, but wherever I look the dentists are the same or worse than where I go now. To be fair there is a really basic ramp and on a certain day the dentist will see me in one (of two) rooms that I can get to in a wheelchair. But the car park is tiny and really steep, the 2 doors at the entrance are at wierd angles so it's difficult to get a wheelchair through, the angles are really tight and the walkways are narrow so when I'm at reception I block the way. There are no rails on steps so even when I could walk, I struggled with them.
I've been saying for ages I need to go somewhere else but I never do. I was starting to wonder if people with disabilities actually go to the dentists!
The practice I go to is in a renovated house. It’s a joint practice, with a surgery
up and down. The renovation must have cost a small fortune, the toilet has to
be seen to be believed. Everything is done in the best possible taste.
My usual dentist has the ground floor but the fixed brace procedure is being
done by the one upstairs. I can manage the stairs slowly, there’s no lift, so
the dentist on the ground floor must be getting most of the business.
Even getting into the place is awkward, the outer door is very heavy, it opens
into a very small porch, then there’s a door into the waiting room. I can’t
imagine how anybody could access it in a wheelchair.
Our local health centre is fairly new, access is great. It’s completely flat with
automatic doors and it has a lift. It would have been a good idea to have a
dental practice in the building.