Newcastle MP calls for urgent action to prevent dental crisis from getting worse
The MP for Newcastle Central has called for urgent action to prevent the dental crisis in the city from getting worse.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Chi Onwurah warned that a lack of appointments was “storing up more trouble for later.” She highlighted figures that show that 90% of NHS practices around the country are not taking on new adult patients and said that immediate interventions were needed to stop patients from resorting to DIY treatment.
Statistics published by the Local Government Association show that there is a currently one dentist per 7,000 patients in Newcastle. In the last two years, less than 40% of adults have seen an NHS dentist.
Ms Onwurah asked the government what it was doing to help patients access NHS dental care at a time when there are hardly any appointments available and the cost of living crisis means that the vast majority of patients cannot afford private treatment.
In response to the Newcastle Central MP’s question, Neil O’Brien, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care said that the government had made changes to the NHS contract and was working on more measures for the next dental contract. Key goals include incentivising NHS dentists, boosting recruitment and targeting poorer areas where it has become particularly difficult to access NHS services.
Recent changes to the current NHS dental contract include enabling dental therapists and hygienists to offer a wider range of services and paying NHS dentists more for complex courses of treatment.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion