Starmer Leads with Dentistry
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- Published: Friday, 06 October 2023 16:28
- Written by Peter Ingle
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The stands are barely dismantled from the Conservative party conference in Manchester, but the day after the Prime Minister’s attempt to relaunch his administration, Labour has made its first policy pledge ahead of their own conference. Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to end the “horror stories” of DIY dentistry..
He 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”
He went on to add: “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.’
A programme to help prevent tooth decay for three to five-year-olds will also be launched, the party said. This included a pledge to bring in supervised brushing sessions at schools. Priority for patients in need of serious treatment, such as fillings and root canal work was also promised.
Overall it has set aside £111m a year to solve what it called the "crisis" in dentistry. This would be funded through scrapping the controversial non-dom tax status.
Professor Claire Stevens, spokeswoman for the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, said Labour’s proposals were a "serious plan to both grip the immediate crisis and set NHS dentistry on the path to recovery in the long-term".
Chris Groombridge, of the Association of Dental Groups and charity Teeth Team, said: "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 tooth brushing programme for three to five-year-olds to help them form healthy habits and protect kids’ teeth."
Chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee Shawn Charlwood commented: “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.”
The proposals have not received universal acclaim. Reported in the Guardian, Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “We have serious reservations about how such a policy could even work. It is not the role of teachers to be making sure children brush their teeth each day.”
“Schools already play a role in teaching children about the importance of looking after their teeth through the curriculum, but there has to be a limit in terms of what we can expect them to do. We should demand more than window dressing from all of our politicians.”
The Labour party has not specified how it will reform the contract.
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