SANDRA'S SURVEY SHOWS DENTAL CONTRACT FAILING LOCAL PATIENTS

5.27.00pm GMT Mon 17th Mar 2008

Local MP Sandra Gidley today criticized the government's dental contract for failing patients and dentists alike. A survey delivered to dentists across her constituency and the surrounding area confirms national figures showing NHS dental treatment in rapid decline, as more and more patients are forced to seek private treatment.

The survey discovered that fewer dentists were providing an NHS service, with four in ten local dentists doing no NHS work at all. Alarmingly, 85% of dentists responding said that they had seriously considered discontinuing NHS services in the past 6 months.

Commenting, Sandra said:

"It's totally unacceptable that so many patients do not have access to an NHS dentist in Hampshire.

"Problems with the government's dental contract were apparent almost from its introduction, and have only been confirmed by talking with local dentists.

"One local dentist explained that the only reason he had a waiting list was that the number of patients he could see was limited by his contract.

"Another bemoaned the lack of incentive to do complicated surgery, because it was rewarded by the government in exactly the same fashion as much less complicated treatment. This is an unacceptable state of affairs.

The survey also showed that only one in ten dentists was seeing more NHS patients than they were five years ago, and 57% of dentists felt that the contract had in fact reduced access to local dentistry.

"The government is failing patients across Hampshire, many of whom can no longer find an NHS dentist, and they are restricting the dentists who want to provide this service" added Sandra.

"This crisis in NHS dentistry is the government's hidden legacy"

ENDS