Worrying new figures released by the Government have revealed that across Wyre Forest, there has been a fall of a truly staggering 22,252 men and women - 50% - who are registered with an NHS dentist since 1997. This contrasts with Tony Blair's promise in 1999 that everyone would be guaranteed an NHS dentist within two years.
This compares with the national figures for England, where almost 2 million fewer adults (9%) are now being treated by NHS dentists.
Unpopular contracts imposed by the Government are encouraging many dentists to quit the NHS and leave for the private sector, increasing the shortage of NHS dentists. In some parts of the country, Primary Care Trusts are preventing NHS dentists who switch to private practice from continuing to treat children for free on the NHS. Patients are also going private, or not taking treatment, since they are now facing higher NHS dental charges that are, potentially unlimited. This compares with a previous overall cap on annual dentist charges of £392. Since April, under new dental charge regulations, a patient may pay up to £189 for each course of treatment, with a tripling of the minimum charge to £15.50
Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest said:
"This really is a truly remarkable state of affairs. I have looked at the figures and Wyre Forest is one of the worse affected constituencies in the country - and this for a constituency that has its own specialist single issue health campaigning party!
"Clearly this is no fault of Richard Taylor or Health Concern, but it does highlight the fact that health issues are national. Whilst health protesting is important, at the end of the day if the Government gets it wrong, this proves that no amount of protesting will put right incompetence.
"It is vitally important that everyone gets access to an NHS dentist and the only way to do that is to develop a dental system that encourages dentists to stay within the NHS. In that way, we all get access to a system that promotes good oral health and preventative work - a system that have already paid for in our taxes, but that is not being delivered by the labour Government.
"David Cameron has made the NHS the number one priority of a new Conservative Government. With decision making being pushed away from Whitehall to those people who actually know what the NHS is supposed to be delivering, the NHS stands a chance for the future. Importantly, we will see better services for patients, and better morale amongst NHS workers who are weary after years of headline grabbing meddling and incompetence."