MPs from across Bristol have discussed the worsening crisis in NHS dentistry in the city, with stories of inaccessibility, painful delays, and private expenses casting a grim shadow over the current state of dental care.
The debate highlighted critical issues, with MPs demanding urgent reforms and government action to prevent further decline in dental health services.
Carla Denyer, Green Party MP for Bristol Central, advocated for a reformed system akin to the one for general practitioners, where dentists would be reimbursed for their work and incentivized to adopt a preventive approach.
Ms Denyer said: “To solve this problem once and for all, and not just deal with the emergency situations that have been mentioned, the Government need to move towards a model similar to that for GPs, in which dentists are reimbursed for their work and rewarded for caring for patients and taking a more preventive approach”.
Dan Aldridge, Labour MP for Weston-Super-Mare, drew attention to local public health programs such as North Somerset ’s initiative led by Catherine Wheatley, which promotes oral health in early years. However, Mr Aldridge pointed out the lack of collaboration among integrated care boards, which he described as an “opportunity for us to collaborate and share what works” that was not being fully realised.
Liberal Democrat MP Claire Young highlighted a staggering figure – 58% of children in South Gloucestershire did not see an NHS dentist last year, despite NHS recommendations for annual dental check-ups for under-18s.
Ms Young criticized the current NHS dental contract, describing it as a key factor in pushing dentists away from NHS work, even for children.
“The last Conservative government failed to fix the broken contract, and the new government have yet to show that they grasp the scale of the challenge,” she stated, calling for an “emergency rescue plan” to increase appointment availability.
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock acknowledged the severe state of NHS dentistry, which he described as “nothing short of Dickensian,” where children as young as five undergo hospital admissions to have decayed teeth removed.
Mr Kinnock echoed the findings of a recent report by Lord Darzi, which outlined the deep-rooted issues afflicting the system. He stated, “The truth is that we are very far from where we want and need to be” and emphasized that “rescuing NHS dentistry will not happen overnight.”
Despite his assurances, Mr Kinnock’s comments revealed the daunting challenges ahead in restoring access to dental care.
He pointed to recent efforts like the ‘golden hello scheme’, aimed at recruiting dentists to underserved areas with a £20,000 incentive, and a rescue plan to introduce 700,000 additional urgent appointments. However, he admitted, “Bringing in the staff we need will take time,” and called for “contract reform to make NHS work more attractive”.
Ms Young shared examples of constituents struggling under the broken system, including one man who, despite qualifying for free NHS dentistry, had to pay privately due to the lack of available NHS appointments. Another constituent, who managed to book NHS appointments, was dismayed by the number of no-shows that left the practice unable to reallocate those missed slots to other patients in need.
On a positive note, Mr Kinnock outlined several preventive measures, including supervised toothbrushing programs targeting young children in deprived communities and expanding regional schemes, such as Devon’s “Open Wide Step Inside,” which educates children on oral health. These initiatives, coupled with measures to reduce sugar consumption, are seen as vital steps toward long-term improvement in dental health.
Concluding with a note of resolve, Mr Kinnock recalled the Labour government’s role in founding the NHS under Clement Attlee in 1945, declaring, “Now, 79 years later, it falls to this Government to clear up the mess we have inherited, to get NHS dentistry back on its feet and to build an NHS dentistry service fit for the 21st century. That is what we shall do.”