Bradford MP Continues to Lobby for Improved Access to NHS Dental Services
Bradford North MP Judith Cummins is continuing to lobby the government for improvements in access to dental services in her constituency. Ms Cummins raised the matter several months ago and has called for more than “empty promises.”
Ms Cummins confirmed that she recently met with a government minister to discuss the issue of poor access to NHS dental care in the region, which was highlighted by Healthwatch Bradford and District. A review is being processed at the moment, but Ms Cummins owed that she will continue to ask questions until the situation improves.
Earlier this year, the patient watchdog invited local residents to share their experiences of dental access and many people got in touch to say that they had struggled to see a dentist. Healthwatch Bradford and District manager, Andrew Jones, said that 43 percent of people hadn’t got a dentist and most of these participants admitted it was because they couldn’t find a dentist accepting new patients.
Representatives from the government and NHS England admit that there are areas of the country where access to NHS care is an issue, and stated that pilot schemes are underway to identify the best ways of targeting underserved areas.
NHS England’s head of primary care co-commissioning in West Yorkshire, Kathryn Hilliam, said that certain areas of Bradford are “more of challenge”, but access across the city as a whole is better than the national average. The trust is working to target the worst affected areas, improve education about services and increase the number of spaces available.
Join this Discussion