Robbie Moore MP has told colleagues in the House of Commons that trying to see an NHS dentist locally can be 'like pulling teeth'.
Mr Moore joined calls for a reform to the NHS dentistry service and shared details of one constituent who had to travel 50 miles to Sheffield for treatment.
In a speech to the House of Commons, the MP recognised the frustration experienced by residents in securing timely dental appointments, highlighting the challenges faced by constituents needing to be seen by a dentist.
Robbie Moore is urging the government to take action to address the issue, calling for a greater focus on early prevention efforts for young people, the prioritisation on the recruitment and retention of dental professionals, integrating dentistry representation within integrated care boards and the need for comprehensive contract reform.
He said: “Access to quality dental care is vital and it is unacceptable to hear that some residents are struggling to secure securing timely appointments.
"In Parliament, I shared just a few of the many real-life stories that highlight the urgency of the situation, and I am calling on the government and NHS bodies to prioritise dental care reforms, including recruiting more dentists, better prevention efforts for young people, integration of dentistry representation in care boards, and comprehensive contract reform.
"We need to ensure that everyone in our constituency receives the dental care they need and deserve.”
Robbie Moore speech to the House of Commons on Reforms to NHS Dentistry, 27th April 2023 (Source: Hansard):
I am sure that all in the House agree that toothache and tooth-related issues can be extremely painful—for our constituents, unfortunately, getting to see an NHS dentist can itself feel like pulling teeth. I am pleased that one of the Government’s immediate priorities is to deal with the backlog, but I cannot stress enough how important it is that we pick up the pace and go even faster. Like many in the House, I was pleased to welcome last year’s announcement that the Government would provide £50 million for up to 350 additional dentist appointments in England. I am also pleased that they are continuing to have talks with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders to reform dental contracts, increase the incentives for dental practices to take on more NHS work, and help get on top of the backlog in dental treatment.Toggle showing location ofColumn 1016
As my hon. Friends the Members for Waveney and for Hartlepool (Jill Mortimer) identified, the contract originally established back in 2006 is the real nub of the issue that all our constituents are facing today: simply not enough NHS dental work is being carried out. That is a huge issue in my constituency.
Over the past year, there has been a significant increase in the number of constituents writing to me in frustration because they cannot secure an NHS dentist appointment. Only last week, one constituent had to make an appointment 50 miles away in Sheffield, as she could not get a local NHS appointment and could not afford a private one. Another constituent kindly contacted me, dismayed at the fact that they had been contacting local dentists listed on the NHS website as available and taking patients—it turned out that they were not. My constituent tried to contact another dentist, which was only accepting children. My constituent ended up having to pay up to £80 up front for them and their three-year-old to see a local dentist. That is not acceptable. I checked it out for myself. The NHS England website said that the dentist was accepting patients, but when I clicked on the link and followed it, it said that
“this dentist surgery has not given an update on whether they’re still taking NHS patients. Please contact them directly to ask.”
That is simply not acceptable, because it instilled a false sense of hope in my constituent who has dental pain and needs to see a dentist as soon as possible.
As we all do, I recently held a surgery. A lady came and explained that she had been an NHS patient all her life with a particular practice in Keighley, as had her partner and her children, only to receive a letter to say that it would now only accept private appointments for her family. Again, that is not acceptable.
The Government are well aware of the issues and the scenarios that we have put forward today, but I urge them to look at some key points. Demand is there, but we are not recruiting enough dentists and we are not allowing those dentists enough space to support the demand. As my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) said, it is important to focus on early prevention work, particularly for younger people. As my hon. Friend the Member for Broadland (Jerome Mayhew) said, recruitment, retention and training in the early years are incredibly important. I want to pick up on the point that all integrated care boards must have dentistry represented on them, to ensure on a geographical basis that contracts are awarded for NHS providers and can be delivered on the ground.
The big issue is the contract reform that must take place. As we have all identified, units of dental activity are not keeping up to speed with demand. That is my constituents’ No. 1 priority. I hope that the Minister will ensure that appropriate action is taken to alleviate the pressures on NHS dentists and the dental pain that my constituents are suffering.
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