Family flies to Brazil to see dentist as NHS backlog leaves them on 'two and a half year waiting list'

Family flies to Brazil to see dentist as NHS backlog leaves them on 'two and a half year waiting list'
wtf pulling teeth
Samantha Haynes

By Samantha Haynes


Published: 16/05/2022

- 20:21

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:25

Stuart and Kedma Woodmansey spoke to GB News' Nigel Farage about their difficulty in getting seen by a dentist in the UK

GB News' Nigel Farage spoke to a family who found it was easier and faster to fly to Brazil for a dental check-up than to wait for an NHS appointment or go private in the UK.

Stuart and Kedma Woodmansey traveled with their son Jacob to Kedma's home of Sao Paulo to see a dentist after they had been trying to register for an NHS appointment for five years.


43-year-old Stuart explained: "We have a two and a half year waiting list in our local area so any emergency access we need we can't get hold of."

Nigel Farage spoke to Stuart and Kedma Woodmansey
Nigel Farage spoke to Stuart and Kedma Woodmansey
GB News

The security consultant said the family could not use a private provider because "of the at least six month waiting list" and so they "flew to Brazil to see the family dentist."

Kedma, who is "almost nine months" pregnant with a second child, said she "tried to register herself straight away but couldn't because of the backlog."

Stuart and Kedma Woodmansey
Stuart and Kedma Woodmansey
GB News

She said she hopes the trips to Brazil were a short term strategy.

Mrs Woodmansey explained the delays caused her to "think of registering the baby straight away so when it needs the dentist it should be okay."

Nigel laughed with Mrs Woodmansey, agreeing: "registering a newborn is a very good idea. By the time they have teeth they might just get onto a list."

This comes as Healthwatch England – the national body representing patients – also warned a lack of access to NHS dentistry is deepening health inequalities across the country.

New polling for the patient champion, shared with the PA news agency, found about two in five (41%) people have experienced difficulty booking an NHS dental appointment.

Almost a quarter (24%) said they had to pay privately to access care.

Some 17% said they felt “pressured” to pay privately when they tried to book a dental appointment.

The survey of 2,000 adults in England found about half (49%) think NHS dental charges are “unfair” amid the rising cost of living.

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