Dentists call for action from Tory leadership

Dentists call for deeds not words, as Tory leadership candidates pledge to fix dental crisis.

The British Dental Association has stressed that the next PM must commit to urgent reform in NHS dentistry, following commitments from both campaigns to prioritise action on the crisis.

Rishi Sunak has today committed to “restore” NHS dentistry by ringfencing its funding, strengthening prevention and encouraging dentists to stay in the health service. In last Thursday’s hustings Liz Truss said fixing the access crisis in GP and dental services would be among the top 3 priorities in her first 90 days in office.

The news follows devastating BBC research on the scale of the access crisis, with 9/10 practices reported as unable to take on new adult patients on the NHS. The Health and Social Care Committee was warned in May that NHS dentistry in England faced a ‘slow death’, with endemic recruitment and retention problems.

BBC data shows that access in the seats held by both MPs is close to zero. No practices contacted in Norfolk are taking on new adult NHS patients, in North Yorkshire the figure stands at only 4%.

The crisis facing the service across England is being fuelled by a discredited NHS contract, which funds care for barely half the population and puts government targets ahead of patient care. NHS England recently announced modest, marginal changes to this system. However, dentist leaders say that the changes, which come without any new investment, will not address the problems patients face accessing services or keep dentists in the NHS.

The BDA has warned the service is now at a tipping point. It has stressed the next PM must urgently commit to a fair funding settlement and fundamental reform of the service. After a decade of savage cuts the BDA estimate it would take an additional £880 million a year simply to restore funding to 2010 levels.

BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said:

“Whoever takes up the reigns in Downing Street must act to end a crisis affecting millions, but we need deeds, not words.

“The constituents of both leadership contenders have next to no options. The same applies to families in every corner of this country.

“This can’t be another exercise in rearranging the deckchairs. Any progress will require real reform and fair funding.”