Labor announces funding boost for dental care in New South Wales
The Australian Labor party has announced that it will invest large sums of money into dental care in New South Wales if the party is re-elected in the state election in March.
New South Wales Premier, Kristina Keneally, revealed that her government would invest more than 12 million dollars into dental services in the area. The money would pay for more than 20,000 dental procedures and the package would include 5,000 free denture treatments for pensioners; measures would also be introduced to improve oral health amongst children.
Keneally said that the previous government had left a large number of people in the lurch and the new government was committed to helping those who are really struggling to pay for dental treatment.
The pledge has been criticised by pensioners and dentists; the New South Wales branch of the Australian Dental Association said that the cash injection is not sufficient to cater for the number of people who need dental treatment in the state. The ADA said that the investment was welcomed but the package would serve only as a short term measure, rather than a long-term solution to the very serious problem of access to dental services. Several areas in the state are underserved and hundreds of patients are forced to wait for dental care.
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