Teenager with half-finished braces told next appointment will be in 2023 due to backlog at Royal Preston Hospital

Uwais Patel, 16, says Lancashire Teaching Hospitals wrote to him this week confirming his appointment at Royal Preston Hospital has been booked for February 9, 2023.

He told the Post: "The appointment is for my dental extractions as part of my orthodontics treatment, which can't move forward until I've had those extractions.

"Basically I've had my top braces fitted but I can't get my bottom ones fitted until I've had those extractions

"I'm really not OK waiting that long. At first, I thought it might have been a typo, so I contacted them, but they just told me that's the soonest they can get me in, as it's the next available appointment."

Uwais said he previously had four extractions on his upper teeth at his local dentist before having his top brace fitted, but was then referred to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals for two further extractions on his lower teeth.

He said he can't have his bottom brace fitted until those extractions on his lower teeth have been taken care of. It means he won't benefit from a full set of braces until 2023, when he is nearly 19-years-old.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals confirmed that the Trust is struggling with a significant backlog of appointments due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesman for the hospital trust said: "Alongside every NHS trust we are working hard to address the backlog of patients waiting for treatment, exacerbated by the impacts of the pandemic, ensuring those who need care the most are seen as a priority."

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