Mirror petition signed by 120,000 people is handed in to Government which currently only provides enough funds for half the population to get an NHS dentist
A Mirror petition calling for NHS dentistry to be properly funded has been handed into Government today.
The online petition had seen 120,632 people sign after we highlighted how the total £3 billion funding for dentistry in England is currently only enough for half the population to get a dentist when they need one. Per head of population, the Westminster government puts in almost half less into dental services for England than devolved administrations do for other countries of the UK.
The Mirror has partnered with the British Dental Association (BDA) and campaigning group 38 Degrees for the Dentists for All campaign, which launched the petition demanding “Fund NHS dentistry NOW”.
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BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said: “We’re yet to see a penny of new investment to stop the queues outside practices and end horrific Victorian scenes. Access and cost of living crises are colliding and government needs to step up.
“Failure to commit funding here will heap new burdens on hard-pressed families who have no options. Ministers need to show they are offering a future for NHS and not DIY dentistry.”
Our growing oral health crisis means a quarter of the adult population – or 14 million people in England – are living with an “unmet need” for dentistry.
A decade of Tory stealth cuts means most dentists are no longer taking on new adult patients and desperate people are being forced to rip their own teeth out.
Monica Finlay, 68, West Ham, east London, said: “Having been unable to find a NHS dentist for years, I endured the agony of losing several teeth at home. They became so loose I had to pull them out myself.
“Two weeks ago I had to scrape money together to go privately and had to have seven teeth removed. I’m now waiting for dentures to fill the gaps. I have six upper teeth remaining and five lower teeth remaining.
“Dentistry shouldn’t be a luxury, only for those who can afford it, it should be accessible for all who need it. It feels like we’ve gone back to Victorian times. It’s very distressing when you’re ashamed to speak or smile.”
Plans are underway to reform the “flawed” NHS dental payment contract which leaves dentists making a loss treating patients who need most care. It pays dentists the same if a patient needs three fillings as if a patient needs 20 fillings.
It has caused an exodus of NHS dentists to the private sector and means dental practices are no longer taking on new NHS patients However this contract reform will depend on the overall funding settlement.
Matthew McGregor, CEO of 38 Degrees said: “The Government needs to properly fund NHS dentistry right now. Millions of people are going without access to affordable dental care, often living with pain and anxiety.
“Reforms, promises and ambitions are one thing but, unless the Government puts its money where its mouth is, millions of people across the UK will continue going without affordable and accessible dental care, and suffering as a result.”
The total budget for NHS dentistry in England has remained at around £3 billion since 2010, with no attempt to keep pace with inflation or population growth. The British Dental Association estimates that this has translated into a real-terms budget cut of over a third.
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However when you dig deeper the figures show that rises in patient charges have masked cuts of £20 million to government funding for dentistry under the Tories, even before inflation. The Government only contributes around £2.2 billion of the dentistry budget for England in direct funding.
Holding down direct funding has come at the same time as above inflation rises in patient charges. For example, the charge for dentures has increased by £128 since 2010 with a pair now costing £327.