NHS Dentistry bites the dust in North Devon - Ian Roome

North Devon is facing a dentistry crisis with many people simply unable to find a dentist taking on new patients.

Just last week Whitehall Dental Practice in South Molton announced it would no longer be taking NHS patients. Meanwhile our MP has begun a petition on the issue. A petition to fix the bonkers system put in place by her own Government! Does she have so little clout in Westminster?

Of the 17 dental practices open in North Devon and Torridge 14 are not accepting new NHS patients and a further three are only taking NHS patients referred to them by other dental practices.

My own dentist has 600 people on the waiting list. Many of whom will never get seen.

Figures published in July by the British Dental Association showed that more than 12 million people are unable to access dentistry through the NHS. The number is nearly three times pre-pandemic totals.

The end result of this is people are either paying to go private, during a cost of living crisis, or resorting to dangerous DIY dentistry.

The Government cannot let this painful crisis continue. Thousands of North Devon residents, including many children, are being let down in this dental desert.

The Conservative Government is happy to take our taxes to pay for dentistry but where is that money going? People in North Devon are once again being taken for granted.

Our plan for NHS dentistry is to reform and increase funding for NHS dental contracts. Right now it's not a viable option for many dental practices.

This will incentivise dentists to take on NHS patients and end the era of 'dental deserts'. We have to start thinking long term and increase the number of dentist training places available in the South West. It takes five years to train a dentist.

The people most affected by this crisis are those on lower incomes and children, particularly those who need orthodontic treatments such as braces.

The Government needs to pull its finger out to ensure people who have paid for NHS dental care, which is every family in North Devon, are able to get the treatments they have already paid for.

We need ministers to get a grip and act swiftly to stop the decay of dental services - starting with meaningful NHS dental contract reform to boost the number of appointments and ensure that work pays dentists fairly.

What we need is a dentistry hub in North Devon, involving Petroc and Plymouth University's Peninsula Dental School. Let’s see if we can turn this disaster into real opportunities for the area’s young people.

Written by Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for North Devon