Preseli Pembrooke MP, Stephen Crabb, visited My Smile dental practice in Milford Haven, Wales, where he spoke to families and professionals to seek a better understanding of how the Welsh dental contact is working.
Speaking to the Western Telegraph, Stephen said, “Since the pandemic, there's been a sharp increase in the number of constituents who are contacting me about the difficulty in getting dental appointments.
“Some have told me how their dentists have been willing to offer them private appointments but will not see them as NHS patients. And for many families, private treatment is unaffordable. The result is that our oral health is deteriorating.
“I’ve also heard from a number of local dentists about the realities facing the profession right now and, specifically, the impact of new NHS contracts that are being issued by the Welsh Government.”
In December 2022, Stephen met with Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales, to share his concerns regarding dental provisions. Stephen said that the service was disappearing at “the rate of knots.”
Looking back on the meeting, Stephen said, “But Mark Drakeford disagreed, claiming that the new NHS contract is creating thousands more appointments in the NHS for dental patients, including the Hywel Dda area.
“Following that committee session, I wrote to the minister for health, Eluned Morgan MS, regarding the provision of dental services in Pembrokeshire as I just don't see the evidence for an increase in NHS availability. It's definitely not what local people are telling me.
“In fact, the current situation is the worst that I’ve ever known it to be.
"It seems to me that the Welsh Government has a big decision to make - either they want NHS dentistry to survive, or they are content to see dental treatment becoming essentially a private service.
"I don't believe dentists want to turn their backs on the NHS, so I hope Welsh Government and the dental professions in Wales can resolve these issues as a matter of urgency.
"An awful lot needs to be done to get NHS dentistry back on a sustainable footing and together with Paul Davies MS, I'll keep up the pressure on the Welsh government to address these problems.”