Newspaper launches campaign for changes to NHS dentistry

With patients in Bridlington now facing nine-year waits for NHS care, ‘Dentists for All’ sees the paper throw its weight behind the calls for wholesale reform of the NHS dentistry contract.

The paper is making three demands:

“More than 12m people were unable to access NHS dental care last year – more than one in four adults in England. At the same time, 90 per cent of dental practices are no longer accepting new NHS adult patients.

“Data from the House of Commons Library showed 40 per cent of children didn't have their recommended annual check-up last year.”

“The UK spends the smallest proportion of its health budget on dental care of any European nation. Government spending on dental services in England was cut by a quarter in real terms between 2010 and 2020. The number of NHS dentists is down by more than 500 to 24,151 since the pandemic.”