A man drove more than 1,000 miles from Cornwall to Scotland and back for a check-up at the dentist.
Mark Formosa, 48, took the extreme measure after he was unable to find an NHS appointment anywhere near his home in Newquay, Cornwall.
The nearest appointment he could find in Glasgow – 500 miles away – and has now completed the round-trip to carry out a basic check-up.
He said: ‘In Cornwall – or everywhere else in England – you can not get an NHS dentist for love or money.
‘But in Glasgow you can walk straight into an NHS dentist to get treatment.
‘Years and years I have been trying – and haven’t been able to see a dentist for more than ten years. I’ve been on the waiting list for the whole of Cornwall and they are said to notify you if a space becomes available.
‘This happens very rarely and there are thousands on the waiting list – so I had no chance.’
Taxi driver Mr Formosa left his home at 11am the day before and spent ten hours driving the 500 miles to make the morning appointment on 26 March at the Renfrew Dental Studio.
Mark Formosa (pictured), 48, took the extreme measure after he was unable to find an NHS appointment anywhere near his home in Newquay, Cornwall
He said: ‘In Cornwall – or everywhere else in England – you can not get an NHS dentist for love or money’ (stock image)
He attended just for a routine check-up, but said would be returning to the Scottish practice any time he needed follow up treatment.
He added: ‘The first dentist I phoned that was closest to the airport immediately agreed to take me on.
‘They have different laws and funding for dentists in Scotland. Dentists are not able to run down list of NHS patients and just kick people off a list.
‘The only way is if they leave or die – and if they leave it’s to go to another premises first.
‘I stayed overnight to make sure I made the appointment in the morning and then came back afterwards.
‘It is ridiculous lengths to go to but shows it can be done and the government can provide this. It is the same general pot for NHS taxation – so why can we not do it here in England.
‘An example of how bad it got was when one in Coventry opened its book and saw literally hundreds of people queuing out the door to get an appointment.
‘I’ll have to keep going to Scotland for my dental treatment and check-ups – unless they implement the same reforms in England.’
Taxi driver Mr Formosa (pictured) left his home at 11am the day before and spent ten hours driving the 500 miles to make the morning appointment on 26 March at the Renfrew Dental Studio
Mr Formosa said he last saw an NHS Dentist in 2010.
He added: ‘There are 28 000 people on the NHS Dentist waiting list in Cornwall and i am one of them. Realistically you have no chance.
‘I have even spoken to people who have resorted to pulling their own teeth out, sad as it is.
‘I left Newquay at 11am and the drive took me ten hours, but even with the inconvenience and the cost of accommodation it’s a drop in the ocean.
‘People pay thousands for dental treatment where I come from. They have no choice.
‘The dentist and staff at the Renfrew Dental studio in Paisley were very professional and very thorough. It is within walking distance of the airport here so people in Newquay can fly from Newquay airport to Glasgow and walk into the nearest NHS Dentist and get treatment.
‘If they can do it north of the border then why can’t they do it in England.’
It comes after an alarming study revealed more than a quarter of people who are unable to access an NHS dentist have resorted to DIY treatments such as pulling teeth out with pliers.
MailOnline has approached Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust for comment.
Meanwhile, a fifth who failed to access proper care in the UK over the past two years went abroad for a check-up or dental procedure.
Health leaders urged the Government to ‘pick up pace and keep its promises’ on dentistry, to avoid patients ‘reaching for pliers or cheap flights’.
Desperate patients have previously told MailOnline of DIY procedures they’re resorted to — including pulling blackened teeth out with hardware tools or fashioning homemade false teeth from resin and superglue.
Reports have also told of some flying out to war-torn Ukraine to access dental treatment after being told they have ‘no chance’ of seeing an NHS dentist and being unable to afford sky-high private fees.
More than a quarter of Britons unable to access an NHS dentist have resorted to DIY treatments such as pulling their teeth out with pliers, an alarming study reveals
Patients have also increasingly turned to unscrupulous, cut-price dentistry in Turkey, leaving many with ongoing health problems.
The new Ipsos survey of 1,091 British adults found fewer than half (48 per cent) had made an appointment with an NHS dentist in the last two years.
More than a third (36 per cent) had not tried, while 18 per cent said they could not get an appointment.
Of those who had secured an appointment, 36 per cent said they waited longer than they would have liked, while 13 per cent were forced to travel outside their local area for care.
However, among those who could not get an appointment, more than a quarter (26 per cent) said they had treated themselves, while 19 per cent said they went abroad for treatment.
Almost seven in 10 (69 per cent) were forced to pay for private care.
Elsewhere, the poll found 74 per cent of those questioned are either ‘very concerned’ or ‘fairly concerned’ about the current availability of dental care on the NHS.
Half of those who responded were not confident they would be able to make a routine appointment with an NHS dentist, while 53 per cnet were not confident they would be able to receive emergency care from an NHS dentist if needed.
More than half (51 per cent) said they were not confident they could afford routine treatment with a private dentist.
More than a third (36 per cent) said they were not confident they could afford routine treatment with an NHS dentist.
