NEW FIGURES SHOW WORSENING STATE OF LOCAL NHS DENTISTRY
April 4, 2006 3:05 PM
Grahame Hudson, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Rutland and Melton in the May 2005 General Election comments on the controversial new NHS dental contracts.
In the week that controversial new NHS dental contracts come into force across England and Wales, the Liberal Democrats have published figures showing that the number of people who are registered with an NHS dentist in the area covered by the Melton, Rutland and Harborough Primary Care Trust has fallen by 18,353 since Labour came to power.
Answers to parliamentary questions tabled by Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister Sandra Gidley MP show that between 1997 and 2005 the number of adults registered with an NHS dentist in England decreased by 13 per cent. Figures provided to local Lib Dems by Ms Gidley reveal that the situation in Rutland and Melton is even worse. In the primary care trust (PCT) area that includes Rutland and Melton the number of adults registered with an NHS dentist has dropped by 31 per cent between 1997 and 2005 and the number of children registered with a dentist has dropped by 14 per cent.
Grahame Hudson says:
"There is a growing decay in NHS dentistry provision, here in Rutland and Melton and across the country. Things were bad when the Conservatives were in power. They have got worse under Labour, and they are set to get worse still.
"In 1999 Tony Blair promised that by 2001 everyone would have access to an NHS dentist. Not only has this not happened - the situation has actually worsened; in 2005, compared to 1997, there are now 18,353 more adults and children in Melton, Rutland and Harborough that are not registered with an NHS dentist.
"These new figures, which the Liberal Democrats are revealing today, show that NHS dentistry had reached crisis point even before these new contracts were imposed. Now the situation looks even grimmer for Rutland and Melton as many dentists are refusing to sign the contract and are leaving the NHS altogether.
"The new dental contracts are not giving local NHS dentists enough confidence to make a long-term commitment to the NHS. It is no wonder the dentists have lost faith in the Government as there was no consultation period for the new contract which many dentists received with only a month to go until the April deadline.
"Many dentists have also had to employ lawyers in order to understand the jargon within the contract and are extremely reluctant to sign something which they don't fully understand.
"The failure to increase registrations through this new contract is an indictment of Labour's failure to restore the NHS to what it should be: a universal, comprehensive service that provides ongoing health care to everyone who needs it."
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