Information on Loughborough

Campaign for better dental treatment

Posted on 23/09/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk

boy with snakeThe government has said that every person ought to have the right to see a National Health Service dentist. But in truth it is still complicated for a quantity of people to locate a dentist providing NHS treatment, and of late the amount of people receiving treatment on the NHS has fallen.

In the UK patients have made a contribution towards the cost of their dental treatment for work undertaken by the NHS since the 1950s. However, by 1990 dental health care in this country was way behind most of the other European countries.

In 2006 our government brought in new contracts for dentists. The purpose of these was to improve access to NHS treatment by using a revised system of charges and NHS registration lists. Despite the numbers of Dentists in Loughborough, the system may be failing. Nicky Morgan, Loughboroughs prospective Conservative MP is launching a campaign to get better dental treatment for all local residents.

Nicky says, "I have been contacted a number of times recently about either lack of access to NHS dentists or because the NHS is unable to provide the necessary treatment."

In the latest case raised with her, Alan Rapley a Loughborough resident, had been told that the treatment which was necessary to sort out his molars could not  be carried out on the NHS. The alternative was to face costs of £7,500 to get the problem sorted. At the moment he needs to see a specialist dental surgeon. Currently to see this type of dental surgeon using the NHS there is a waiting list of about a year. The alternative is to go private with the associative costs. Alan Rapley is now looking into treatment abroad, something that would use all his nest egg.

Nicky adds, "There are many, like Alan, who have paid their taxes all their lives but who now find, when they need the NHS to help them, that it is unable to do so and they have to consider using all of their savings to get the necessary treatment.  The Governments changes to NHS dental treatment are failing patients.  The minimum charge for visiting a dentist has increased from £5.75 to £15.50 and, across the country, 2,000,000 fewer people are now registered with dentists."

The Conservatives Public Services Policy Group, co-chaired by Charnwood MP, Stephen Dorrell, has proposed that the next Conservative government ought to work with professional and patient groups to create a new primary dental service contract which would ensure even-handed access to dental services throughout the country.

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