Almost 1,000 children needed teeth extracting in hospital in Bradford in 2019/2020
Almost 1,000 children needed teeth extracting in hospital in Bradford in 2019/2020.
Speaking at a debate in Westminster Hall, local MP Judith Cummins highlighted the shocking statistic to outline the scale of the dental crisis in Bradford. Ms Cummins said that the situation was bad before the pandemic, but closures, lockdowns and restricted access to dental services have exacerbated the problem.
Across West Yorkshire, Ms Cummins, the MP for Bradford South, said that there was an “emergency” with children suffering in pain and relying on multiple rounds of antibiotic treatment while they wait for hospital treatment.
There is currently no data about waiting times or the number of patients waiting to go into hospital for dental care, but constituents have told Ms Cummins that they have been informed the wait could be as long as three years.
Ms Cummins said that the dental access issue in the region is now at an “unprecedented scale” and called for urgent action to reform the NHS dental contract.
Health minister, Maria Caulfield, acknowledged that NHS dental services have been disrupted dramatically by Covid and that issues that were already present have got worse since March 2020. She stressed that dentistry was a “priority” and added that work on modifying the contract will start “as soon as possible.”
Following the debate on dental access, Ms Cummins said that she is contacted by people who cannot get a dental appointment every single week and urged the government to take immediate action to prioritise NHS dentistry and ensure that everyone is able to access local dental services.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion