Labour Government delivering by making NHS dentistry fit for the future

The Government has recently announced that hundreds of thousands of people, including in Stockport, will soon be able to access urgent and emergency dental care as the government and NHS rolls out 700,000 extra urgent appointments, delivering on Labour’s manifesto commitment. 

As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dentistry and Oral Health I welcome the Labour Government’s announcement. These appointments are vitally needed. Sadly, I hear regularly from far too many constituents who are desperate to access a dentist. I have also spoken to many dentists and undertaken my own survey. The replies were as expected - reports of underfunding and concerns about the viability of NHS dental contracts.

This announcement marks the start of the government and the NHS delivering on the manifesto pledge to provide 700,000 extra urgent and emergency dental appointments to address the crisis in NHS dentistry. 

In Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board region 17,897 urgent care appointments are to be delivered. 

After over a decade of failure, the Conservatives shockingly left millions of people in England with unmet need for dentistry. They brought in a New Patient Premium scheme that didn’t have any impact for new patients, with figures revealing that £88 million was wasted on the scheme. 

I believe everyone in Stockport knows the scale of the challenge facing NHS dentistry after years of failure under the Conservatives. In recent years it has become almost impossible to get an NHS dental appointment and it is scandalous that the number one reason that five to nine year olds are admitted to hospital is because of tooth decay. 

Clearly NHS dentistry will not be rebuilt overnight but I am delighted that this Labour Government is taking such an important step not only repairing NHS dentistry but making it fit for the future.