Labour Has Failed To Reverse Decline In NHS Dentistry

15.7.05

Edward Davey MP for Kingston and Surbiton constituency today slammed the government for its inability to reverse the decline in NHS Dentistry. The Public Accounts Committee Report found that 2 million people in England are unable to find an NHS dentist.

Both here in Kingston and across much of the country, NHS dentists have become a rare species. Even rarer is a NHS dentist who can take on more NHS patients. One local NHS dentist within the constituency often gets over 10 enquiries a day, but his lists are already full.

Commenting on the issue, Edward Davey MP said:

"This report shows that Labour has failed to reverse the long-term decline in NHS dentistry. In some areas, trying to find an NHS dentist is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Particularly worrying is the large number of children who are not getting routine dental check ups, particularly in more deprived areas. So now we have a situation in Kingston and Tolworth where three in five adults and two in five children are not registered.

"Unless urgent action is taken, NHS Dentistry will soon be a thing of the past. We need to stop patching over the problem and start doing something about it."