All four Dorset Labour MPs have joined forces to push for more action to tackle the 'dental desert’ created in Dorset with no dental practices currently taking on new NHS patients.
Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West), Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset), Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole) and Tom Hayes (Bournemouth East) have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting calling for urgent action.
The letter, which follows multiple conversations with constituents struggling to access NHS dental care, outlines how patients are having to go as far as Southampton and Bristol in order to get access to an NHS dentist, or are taking matters into their own hands performing DIY dentistry.
Bournemouth West constituent Laura Williams, who moved back to Bournemouth 18 months ago, has been unable to find a local NHS dentist so makes the five-hour round trip back to Bristol for her annual dentist check-up. She said: “I’m a busy working mum, and I have to find a whole day and spend £100+ in petrol to have a dentist check-up. It’s madness really, I’m conscious that I’m blocking up a spot for a local person there too but I daren’t take myself off their books as who knows when or where I might be able to access more dental care. Who knows what I'd do in an emergency.”
Access to NHS dentistry is increasingly a lottery across the country. The South West region is the worst in the country for access to dentists with 99.1% not accepting new adult patients. Locally, almost 60% of Dorset adults and 47% of children have not seen an NHS dentist in the past year.
Jessica said: “It really shouldn’t be impossible to access NHS dental care where you live, but for so many of my constituents, it is. The impact of this is significant, with children being admitted to hospital for dental issues that could’ve easily been prevented with access to NHS dental care.”
Lloyd, who earlier this month spoke alongside Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty in a Parliamentary committee about the dental crisis, added: “Recruitment is a huge issue. Not a single dentist practice in my constituency is taking on new adult NHS patients. One of my constituents, a sergeant stationed in Bovington Camp, has said he is unable to get himself, his wife or his three children registered, despite serving in the armed forces. It’s good to see ‘golden hello’ incentives for new dentists, but these need to be targeted at the areas with the greatest need.”
The MPs welcomed the recent government announcement that dental patients across the UK are set to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments - 13,569 of which are allocated to Dorset, but this does not tackle the lack of access for residents to ongoing NHS dental check-ups.
Neil Duncan-Jordan said: “It’s great that the government is investing more into our NHS but we need to ensure ongoing dental care is not forgotten. Residents also need access to accurate up-to-date information about where is accepting new NHS patients, and should not have to be travelling to neighbouring counties for this.”
Tom added: “Bournemouth residents are unable to get an NHS dentist with appalling costs to their health. Reforming the dental contract and providing extra appointments in Dorset will give NHS dentistry to local people when they need it. In a previous parliamentary debate, I told the story of my constituent whose life was saved by dental care. I want more NHS dentists to save more local lives and reform of the contract is key to this.”
As well as requesting a meeting with the Heath Secretary to discuss this further, the MPs have invited Mr Streeting to Dorset to speak with patients and dentists first-hand to understand the extent of the crisis.
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