Labour unveils rescue plan for NHS dentistry
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A Labour government will provide an extra 700,000 urgent dentists
appointments and reform the NHS dental contract, as part of a
package of measures to rescue NHS dentistry. In the first of the
party’s policy announcements ahead of its conference in Liverpool,
Labour is also pledging to introduce supervised toothbrushing in
schools, and incentivise new dentists to work in underserved areas.
The plan will tackle the alarming decline of NHS dentistry, which
has left...Request free trial
A Labour government will provide an extra 700,000 urgent dentists appointments and reform the NHS dental contract, as part of a package of measures to rescue NHS dentistry. In the first of the party’s policy announcements ahead of its conference in Liverpool, Labour is also pledging to introduce supervised toothbrushing in schools, and incentivise new dentists to work in underserved areas. The plan will tackle the alarming decline of NHS dentistry, which has left millions of people unable to get a dentist’s appointment when they need one. New analysis of patient survey data suggests that 4.75 million people were denied an appointment with an NHS dentist in the past two years. Figures show millions of people were either told no appointments were available or that the practice they contacted was not taking on new patients. This has led to the emergence of DIY dentistry, with 1 in 10 people having attempted their own dental work. Healthwatch England has reported horror stories of patients pulling their own teeth out with pliers. The government is now overseeing a pilot where NHS dentistry will only be made available to children and the most vulnerable, which would be a huge scaling down of the service. Labour’s plans will also address the issue of children requiring operations to have rotting teeth removed. 42,000 children went to hospital to have teeth removed in 2021/22, 26,700 of whom had tooth decay as their main diagnosis. Tooth decay is the most common reason for children aged 6-10 to be admitted to hospital. 1 in 3 children living in the most deprived areas of England suffer from tooth decay, and are three times more likely to have rotting teeth than kids in the least deprived areas. Labour is promising to take immediate action to provide care for those in most urgent need, and long-term reform to restore NHS dentistry to all who need it. The party’s plans include:
The plans will cost £111 million a year in total and be funded by abolishing the non-dom tax status, which allows people who live and work in Britain to pay their taxes overseas. Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party said: “People are finding it impossible to get an NHS dentist when they need one, with appalling consequences. Horror stories of DIY dentistry are too frequent. “My Labour government will not stand for millions of people being denied basic healthcare. “To rescue dentistry from the immediate crisis, we will provide 700,000 more appointments a year to those in the most urgent need, recruit more dentists to areas with the most severe shortages, and protect children’s teeth. “But my mission led government will always do more than fix the basics. We will reform the dental contract to rebuild the service in the long-run, so NHS dentistry is there for all who need it.” Ends Notes to editors
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmhealth/964/summary.html
Reaction from industry experts and campaigners: Professor Claire Stevens CBE, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) Spokesperson: “This is a serious plan to both grip the immediate crisis and set NHS dentistry on the path to recovery in the long-term. BSPD believes that every child should have a ‘dental home’ – an ongoing and preventively focused relationship with an NHS dentist. However, with children’s dental services in crisis we urgently need to put a blanket of support around the most vulnerable children in our society. We must recognise that, through no fault of their own, some children need greater help to get the oral health start in life that every child deserves. We therefore welcome these measures as we know we need urgent action to address the persistent and immoral inequalities we see in children’s oral health. Intervening with a targeted supervised toothbrushing scheme is proven to deliver beneficial oral health outcomes that also pay for themselves severalfold in the future.” Chris Groombridge, Chair of Teeth Team: “As a charity dedicated to providing dental education in schools, we all too often see tooth decay which is largely preventable. We therefore welcome Labour’s commitment to a toothbrushing programme for 3–5-year-olds to help them form healthy habits and protect kid’s teeth.” Ben Atkins, a Manchester-based dentist and trustee of the Oral Health Foundation: "NHS dentistry is in urgent need of repair. The NHS dental contract is unfit for purpose and requires widescale reform to make it an effective service that people can rely on. Working alongside the dental profession is essential for delivering positive outcomes and will go a long way to revitalising a depleted and demoralised dental workforce. A focus on preventive policies like toothbrushing programmes and water fluoridation will undoubtably help reduce dental disease in children and give them the very best start in life." Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee: “We’re seeing patients in pain reach for pliers because of choices made in Westminster. These access problems are not inevitable, and giving dentists the time and the resources will make a real difference. Labour has recognised the scale of this crisis. NHS dentistry is hanging by a thread, and every party has a moral responsibility to set out a plan.” Dr Camilla Kingdon, President of The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: “As a children’s doctor, I know only too well the significant health and social consequences resulting from poor oral health. In 2022, 29% of five-year-olds in England had tooth decay. This is unacceptable in one of the richest nations in the world. It is a scandal that children living in the most deprived communities are unfairly and disproportionately impacted. We know poor oral health is entrenching existing inequalities yet tooth decay is entirely preventable. That is why I and my colleagues across the medical profession have repeatedly called for action that enables positive oral health habits in children. Today’s announcement that Labour will provide funding for a national targeted toothbrushing scheme for children is certainly positive. The evidence is clear that these schemes are effective and help to address inequalities. The future wellbeing and prosperity of our nation is dependent upon building a solid foundation of health for our next generation. Importantly, we know what works. I urge all political parties to prioritise the prevention of ill-health in childhood”.
Regional data breakdown:
Case studies Liverpool (North West)- 67-year-old man pulls out 11 teeth with pliers after being unable to get NHS dental appointment https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/man-agony-pulls-11-teeth-25809038 Lincoln (East) Retired man resorts to pulling out teeth with pliers as he hasn’t been able to find an NHS dentist for 6 years Durham (North)- Durham man who couldn’t get an NHS dentist appointment only discovered he had an aggressive cancerous tumour after forking out to go private. Wakefield (Yorkshire) - A 6 year-old girl had five black teeth, her dad desperately rang round local NHS dentists but was unable to get an appointment. When the story got media attention a local dentist reached out to offer her treatment. Derbyshire (East Mids)- A woman had been going to the same dentist in Hadfield for about twenty years until they suddenly stopped doing any NHS dentist work and went private. The woman and her son have not been able to get an NHS dentist anywhere in High Peak, so they are having to get two buses to travel into Greater Manchester - still not to an NHS dentist but to a cheaper private practice. Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (East) - Last year a mum-of-two from Bury St Edmunds was forced to remove 13 of her own teeth after she was unable to find an NHS dentist. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/desperate-mum-two-removes-13-27529659.amp London – A 58 year-old plumber from Bromley pulled out 4 teeth himself, took out a £6,000 loan to go to Turkey to get them replaced, because he couldn’t get an NHS dentist- now he’s in debt https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/i-pulled-out-four-teeth-30467494 Hereford (West Midlands) – A mother contacted every dentist in the county, spending 4 years looking, and still can’t find an NHS dentist for her two boys https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-65122827 Kent (South East) – A dental practice in Faversham opened up 60 new places for NHS patients. It led to queues outside, 700 emails, and 27,000 phone calls from people desperate for care
Bristol (South West)
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