Ukrainian family who fled to UK after Putin's invasion move BACK to the war ... trends now
A Ukrainian family who had fled to the UK after Putin's invasion have moved back to the war-torn country because they struggled to find an NHS orthodontic dentist to fit braces.
Nataliia Zavalniuk, 39, and daughter Viktoriia, 14, were given refuge by a host in Bosham, West Sussex, after Putin unleashed scenes of horror when he ordered his armies to invade Ukraine two years ago in the brutal invasion.
The family returned to Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, on April 16 2023, exactly a year since they arrived to the UK, where Viktoriia promptly received the dental care she needed, and had her braced fitted 'within a few days'.
In a shocking revelation, the Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index found that 67 per cent of Ukrainians were able to see a dentist within 24 hours in the nation that has been ravaged by war, compared with just 23 per cent of people in the UK.
This comes as Brits have been forced to queue from 4am to gain a spot at dentistry practices that have opened up their list to NHS patients in scenes described as being 'reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe'.
Viktoriia, 14, returned to Ukraine with her mother, where she promptly received the dental care she needed and had her braced fitted 'within a few days'
Some have even resorted to DIY dentistry, using pliers to remove rotting or painful teeth at home.
Ms Zavalniuk, a supply manager, told The Times that her experience of living in the UK was 'very poor' after struggling to get an NHS dentist appointment, with the alternative of private treatment being too expensive.
In a damning testimony to the tattered state of the NHS, Ms Zavalniuk said that despite the war, it was 'very easy' to get access to dental treatment in Ukraine.
Getting braces fitted in Ukraine costs around £300, while each appointment will cost the equivalent of £10, according to Ms Zavalniuk.
She said that they were 'lucky' that Viktoriia's dental needs were not more urgent.
Speaking to The Times, Dr Louise Baverstock, who took the family into her home in Bosham, said she hosted the desperate Ukrainian refugees because she was 'so proud of being British'.
She added: 'After six months they moved into a flat and literally everything was perfect … but they couldn't get dentist.
The GP said that Viktoriia 'clearly needed' orthodontic treatment but was not optimistic about the the teenager's access to dental care in the UK, due to the
In a damning testimony to the tattered state of the NHS, Ms Zavalniuk said that despite the war, it was 'very easy' to get access to dental treatment in Ukraine
Dr Baverstock said that other contributing factors to their return included being homesick as well as Viktoriia needing orthodontic treatment.
She added: 'They literally went back to Ukraine, a country of war, to get dentist treatment'.
The GP, who is regularly faced with 'vulnerable' patients in need of urgent care at her pratice but unable to access it, blamed austerity measures for the woeful state of the NHS.
Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, told The Times: 'It speaks volumes that refugees are heading back to the front line for care that has effectively ceased to exist for millions across this country. The government's cack-handed policies have failed Ukrainian guests and natives alike.'
Earlier this month, police broke up a snaking
