Man who couldnt get seen at NHS dentist travelled to Ukraine for treatment

A Brit who travelled to Ukraine to get dental treatment after being told he couldn't get an NHS appointment has said his decision to travel to the war-torn country was 'worth it'.

Richard Howe, 58, lived in Kyiv before the war. He travelled back after his NHS practice told him he would have to fork out for private treatment for an abscess under his tooth last month, which was causing him severe discomfort.

His old dental practice gave the dad-of-three treatment at HALF the price quoted in the UK, including travel costs - and treated him 'straight away'.

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Richard, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, said: "I was in loads of pain, but I was told outright there was no chance of me getting an appointment with the NHS.

"So, I got one in Ukraine, straight away, for a fraction of the cost. It just shows how much of a mess NHS dental care is over here right now."

Richard, whose wife is Ukrainian, grew frustrated after being fobbed off by his local NHS dentist. The quote to have his abscess removed privately was a minimum of £875, plus a £75 emergency fee.

Richard spent 12 years living in Kyiv with his wife and family and returned back to the UK a month before Putin's brutal invasion. He still has contacts at the Clinic of Modern Dentistry, the Ukrainian practice where he used to visit, so he rung them up to book an appointment.

They told him they could see him immediately, prompting Richard to fly to Poland on February 28, and catch a 13 hour train across the border to Kyiv.

Within the space of one week, he had his abscess drained, and extra work done, including three root canals and a filling, for a bargain £220.

Richard said: "I used to go to them when I lived in Kyiv, so I trusted