Dental gap
I’ve been aware for some time about the challenges facing post-Covid NHS dental services in our region and further afield and have raised issues on behalf of individual constituents.
A shortage of dentists nationally, partly resulting from retirements together with a backlog of dental work from the pandemic period, have exacerbated the problems.
The result is that some practices in Dumfries and Galloway have been unable to take on additional NHS patients or, in some cases, reduce their lists.
I’m supportive of efforts nationally to train more dentists but that obviously takes time and I will assist NHS Dumfries and Galloway in any way I can in their efforts to encourage newly-qualified or more experienced dentists to consider moving to our region by highlighting the quality-of-life potential and the excellent natural environment.
Medal magic
It was a privilege to have the opportunity of visiting the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and meeting Team Scotland members and some of their coaches.
I was especially delighted to witness in hall four at the National Exhibition Centre one of the early bouts of 23-year-old bronze medal winner Tyler Jolly, who is a member of the Bravehearts Boxing Club at Whithorn.
But, equally thrilling, was watching on TV the progress of another of my constituents Rosemary Lenton of Dumfries, who at the young age of 72, earned a gold medal in the women’s pairs at the Royal Leamington Spa lawn bowls venue. She achieved the success along with her younger team mate Pauline Wilson.
My warmest congratulations go to Rosemary — oldest gold medalist in Commonwealth Games history — Tyler and all the competitors with connections to Dumfries and Galloway.
Big attraction
I was pleased that the Galloway Viking Hoard exhibition had a successful season at the Kirkcudbright Galleries.
The collaboration with National Museums of Scotland was a welcome initiative appreciated locally as the historical treasures were, of course, discovered almost a decade ago near Balmaghie by an enthusiast with a metal detector.
It’s interesting to see the unique archaeological collection has now gone on show in Aberdeen and my hope would be that some north-east visitors might later be tempted to boost our local hospitality sector by having a break in Dumfries and Galloway.
History can so often be important to our future!