Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the watchdog to investigate concerns patients are paying over the odds for dentistry due to hidden costs, overtreatment and lack of information
Rachel Reeves has ordered a probe into private dentistry costs amid fears patients are being ripped off.
The Chancellor tonight told the watchdog to investigate concerns that patients are paying over the odds for dentistry due to hidden costs, overtreatment and lack of information on price, ownership and quality of treatment.
It comes after reports of private practices offering to take on children of customers as NHS patients only if parents sign on as private patients.
Ms Reeves said: “The scourge of hidden costs, lack of transparency and overtreatment has blighted families in need of dental treatment for too long. That’s why I want to see urgent action taken to help reduce prices, whilst the cost of living still puts pressure on families across the country.
“At next week’s Budget I’ll set out the fair choices I will take to deliver on the public’s priorities: cutting NHS waiting lists, cutting national debt and cutting the cost of living.”
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The Mirror has been campaigning to save NHS dentistry as patients are forced to resort to drastic measures like pulling out their own teeth due to lack of access.
Motorists will also begin to see data on fuel prices in mapping apps, sat navs and price comparison sites from next year after a probe by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The Chancellor has accepted the CMA recommendation after they found that the amount retailers make in profit on every £1 spent on fuel has more than doubled at some supermarkets, with similar increases at other forecourts.
Fuel providers will have to report changes to fuel prices in near real time so drivers can get the best price. Government officials estimate that this could knock £40 a year off a household’s annual fuel bill or up to 6p a litre.
Ms Reeves also confirmed that the Government is ready to act to drive down veterinary bills after the watchdog investigated the sector.
It recently found that vet prices have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation and pet owners are often unaware of prices or not given estimates for costly treatments. Further details will be set out in due course.