Tory dental plan runs out of gas
Key promise ‘likely to be unreliable’
THE Tories’ much-derided NHS dentistry “recovery plan” came unstuck yesterday as a senior minister was grilled by MPs. Stumbling primary care minister Andrea Leadsom was forced to admit its key promise to deliver millions more NHS dentist appointments “has a high likelihood of not being reliable”.
She made the admission during an appearance before the Health Select Committee about the collapse in access to NHS dentists.
The Government’s pledge was to provide an extra 2.5 million appointments, or 1.5 million courses of treatment when this would involve more than one appointment – despite coming with no extra funding.
Committee member Paul Blomfield, the Labour MP for Sheffield Central, asked the minister to explain how the Government arrived at that figure. Dame Andrea replied: “That was NHS modelling that took into account the views of dentists and the usage of contracts and various factors”
She added: “It’s a complicated set of factors but at the same time it has quite a high likelihood of not being reliable, as is the case with all modelling. “As a previous finance person myself, I can assure you that it’s not rocket science. It’s more forecasting. It is a very tricky issue.”
Mr Blomfield replied: “That’s quite an admission, minister, because the 2.5 million was the headline that accompanied the recovery plan. What you’re now saying is it’s not really reliable.”
Dame Andrea said: “I’m making the point that forecasting is not an exact science.”
The Mirror is campaigning for a return of the right to an NHS dentist for all. Our online petition on the 38 Degrees platform, in partnership with the British Dental Association, has reached 210,000 names.
Earlier yesterday, Shawn Charlwood, of the BDA, told MPs: “It feels to me this plan was not designed to rescue NHS dentistry. [It] is not worthy of the title.” The plan also includes a premium for dentists seeing patients who have not had an appointment in two years, and higher fees for some practices. A Department of Health spokesman said: “The minister simply meant that all modelling has an element of uncertainty.”
■ THIS country has gone to the dogs in every way possible. I worked as a dental nurse for 42 years and I have seen the decline in services for many years.
Is this what Britain has become? A third world country, where only people with money can access dental treatment. Private dentistry is prohibitively expensive, and being able to access an NHS dentist shouldn’t be a luxury.
To have children needing so much treatment at a young age is dreadful and down to lack of education in most cases. But if they can’t access an NHS dentist, this never happens. A few of my ex colleagues pay privately for grandchildren to have dental check-ups, as their parents can’t afford it.
Dental treatment shouldn’t just be for the wealthy, it should be for everyone. Not just for millionaires, but for the millions.
Lynne Fletcher, Porth Rhondda Cynon Taf
■ Is there anything that actually works in the UK at the moment? Trying to get a dental appointment is like pulling teeth. I know of so many people who just can’t get to see one at all and they just have to put up with the pain. Well done to the Mirror for raising this issue and trying to get something done. Dental health is extremely important and treatment is a right of everyone. I was shocked to read that funding for NHS dental work has been cut by a third in real terms since the Tories came to power. That’s appalling. I’ve signed the Mirror’s petition and I hope that many more do so too so we can get the dental service we all deserve.
Michael Simons, Blackburn, Lancs
■ There is no chance of getting a dental appointment where I live. How many more people will be added to the waiting lists for treatment because of this ineffective government? This is utter madness. Dental treatment should be a right of everyone.
Trevor Willis, Manchester
■ The Tories have offered a dentistry “rescue plan” but it comes with no new funding. So how will that work? This isn’t a real solution to the problem. This sounds like a cobbled together plan to try and hoodwink the electorate into thinking the Tories care.
Phil Martin, Scunthorpe, Lincs
■ I hope the good people of this country realise that this shameful government is deliberately starving dentistry of NHS funding because it wants to force people suffering in pain to go private. The only way to save our great NHS services is to eliminate this useless government.
Harry Wheeler Bridgwater, Somerset
■ The NHS is on its knees and the vast majority of dental surgeries aren’t taking on any new patients. Waiting times for appointments are just crazy.
Linda Cherwell, Northampton
■ This Tory government has intentionally run down our National Health Service, including dentistry, and they don’t care if people have to travel hundreds of miles just to see a dentist and pay through the nose. They simply don’t have this problem as all their medical needs are met.
Tony Howard, Salford