Judith Cummins MP, led a cross-party debate in the Commons, calling on the government to take urgent steps to deal with the crisis in NHS dentistry before it is too late.
Judith said, “For the last seven years, I have spoken about the challenges, I have raised concerns, and I have sounded the alarm that NHS dentistry was facing burdens, pressures and circumstances that it simply was not equipped to handle.”
Leading the debate, Judith said that NHS dentistry was in urgent need of fundamental reform – but that calls for change had largely been ignored by the government, “We now hear on a regular basis, from MPs on all sides of the House, from across the country, raising the concerns of their constituents who are unable to access an NHS dentist. The current system remains unfit for purpose.”
Judith explained, “How did we get to this position? The answer is threefold: a contract not fit for purpose, dramatic under-funding and an exodus out of the NHS workforce. During my time in this place, minister after minister after minister has stood here and accepted that fundamental reform of the contract is needed. And yet we are still waiting.
“After years of delay, in July 2022 the government announced some small contract changes but, unfortunately, these ‘quick wins’ completely failed on the fundamentals. NHS dentists in my constituency tell me that the financial uplifts are minor to the point of insignificance.
The government is conducting a ‘polish and clean’ when what is needed is root canal treatment.”
Research by the BBC shows that nine out of 10 dental practices in England are not taking on new NHS patients. In Yorkshire and Humber, which covers the new prime minister’s constituency, the situation is amongst the worst in the country – with only two per cent of dental practices taking on new NHS patients.
Shocking statistics show that a child born in Bradford, Yorkshire, is eight times more likely to be admitted to a hospital with dental decay before their sixth birthday than children born in the East of England.
Judith also commented on the lack of funding, “We saw funding to NHS dentistry fall by around a third in real terms in the last decade – and that was before the cost of living crisis."
Dentistry and oral health is the only part of the NHS in England that went into the pandemic operating on a lower budget in cash terms compared to what it received in 2010 and there has been no serious attempt to address the huge pressure covid placed on dentists and the backlog for patients.
Judith added, “It is important to put on the record that we have enough dentists – but they are working in private practice. Until government fixes the problems with the NHS contract which sees highly qualified, experienced dentists squeezed out of the system, they are simply pouring more water into a bucket with a giant hole.”
Speaking afterwards, Judith said, “Dentists are struggling to see a future in the NHS, with over 40 per cent saying they might leave NHS dentistry all together in the next year.
“Good oral health must not be restricted by either your postcode or by your wealth. I have called for fundamental and comprehensive contract reform that puts early prevention at its heart and ensures dentists can see a future in the NHS, so my constituents can get the healthcare they need. The government knows this is needed. I have had minister after minister agree that fundamental reform is essential but years on, I am still waiting for action.
“People are fed up of excuses and inaction. The government needs to act.”