Dewsbury MP calls for the health secretary to step in to avert deepening dental access crisis
The MP for Dewsbury, Paula Sheriff, has called for the health secretary, Matt Hancock to step in to avert a dental access crisis in West Yorkshire.
Ms Sheriff has written to Mr Hancock, urging him to take urgent action to provide better access to NHS dental services in her constituency. Ms Sheriff has been appealing for better provision in the Dewsbury area for some time, but she has issued a fresh call for help following the announcement that the only surgery in nearby Ravensthorpe is set to close.
In a letter to the health secretary, Ms Sheriff argued that it is now “near impossible to get an appointment with an NHS dentist in the Dewsbury constituency” and added that NHS dentistry in the local area has been in “a state of perpetual decay” for years.
In response to the letter, Ms Sheriff said that she had been advised to contact NHS England by health minister, Seema Kennedy.
NHS England stated that the budget for Yorkshire and the Humber is currently at a maximum and there are no plans to increase the number of units available in the Dewsbury area.
Ms Sheriff dismissed responses from the government and NHS England and said that it was evident that additional funding for the NHS dental service is required immediately.
Access problems in Dewsbury are well-documented, and the charity Dentaid has even started working with the council to provide clinics for patients who cannot register with a local dentist.
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