There has been backlash from across Cumbria as the UK Government announced plans to increase the number of NHS dental appointments in England as part of the NHS Dental Rehabilitation Plan.
Tim Farron MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale he was pleased with the announcement but criticized it for not going far enough.
He said: “More money to incentivize dentists to take on NHS patients, especially in rural areas like ours is always welcome.
“Yet the British Dental Association, who I trust knows what dentists need far more than Tory ministers, says this ‘recovery plan’ is not worthy of the headline and will not stop the mass exodus of staff leaving NHS dentistry ».
The Dental Recovery Plan will provide £200m of government funding to dentists as part of a new patient payment which is expected to incentivize dentists to treat patients who have not seen an NHS dentist for two or more years.
The dental plan aims to see an extra 2.5 million NHS dental appointments available for patients over the next 12 months.
The UK government says it wants to “put a major new focus on prevention and good oral health for young children and deliver an expanded dental workforce”.
In a statement, NHS England said: “To attract new NHS dentists and improve access to care in areas of highest demand, around 240 dentists will be offered lump sum payments of up to £20,000 to work in underserved areas for up to three years.”
Conservative MP for Workington Mark Jenkinson said: “Everyone should be able to access NHS dentistry quickly and easily and I understand the frustration of people who struggle to get NHS appointments – particularly as dentists leave NHS contracts for private practice.
“I am therefore delighted that the Conservative Government has published its NHS Dental Recovery Plan, creating 2.5 million extra NHS dental appointments over the next year – and I urge practices across the constituency to take up this new and the existing additional capacity.
“The Conservative Government is sticking to the plan to deliver immediate and long-term change to improve access to NHS dentistry. Our ambitious pledges go far beyond Labour’s pledges and will ensure that everyone can access the right care and stay healthy for years to come.”
“Dentistry is a priority for this government. I know from my experience representing a rural and coastal constituency how frustrating it is for people not being able to get a dental appointment, especially after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dentistry.”
Tim Farron MP added: “The £200 million announced today is a drop in the ocean compared to the £1 billion that has been cut in real terms from NHS dentistry by the Conservatives since they came to power.
“There has been a lot of build-up to this announcement, but unfortunately it appears to be another temporary filling that won’t fix the rotten tooth.
“I think it’s a kick in the teeth for a lot of people across the street Cumbria who cannot see an NHS dentist in our county and are therefore left with two options – 100 mile round trips to see an NHS dentist or paying for private treatment amid a cost of living crisis.”
Under the new plans, the public can also see which dentists are accepting NHS patients in their area.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, said: “Covid-19 has significantly affected NHS dental care and teams across the country are working hard to recover services and meet increasing demand.
“Building on the reforms we have already put in place, the health service will now introduce a wide range of practical measures to make it easier for people to see a dentist, from incentivising dentists to take on new patients to supporting dentists to join the NHS in areas where access is difficult.
“Dental recovery is a priority for the NHS and this plan is an important step towards transforming NHS dental services for the better.”
Eddie Crouch, President of the British Dental Association (BDA) said it was “absolutely shocking” that people had to queue in the streets to access the NHS.
“We have seen a decade of neglect with the NHS dental service. We believe it is an area of the NHS that has seen a net reduction of around £1 billion compared to ten years ago,” Crouch said.
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