Labour's new Dentist contract leads to falling NHS lists in Suffolk

11.25.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 24th Oct 2007

NHS Dentistry cut under Labour

Liberal Democrats have uncovered a big drop in the number of patients receiving NHS dental treatment in Suffolk. Since the new contracts were brought in, in April 2006, there has been a drop of nearly 23,000 patients. The figures, obtained from Suffolk PCT under the Freedom of Information Act, raise concerns over the new dental contracts brought in by the Government.

Cllr Andrew Cann, who first uncovered problems in Ipswich with closed NHS lists said, "Although the PCT have received much of the blame in this debate, I don't believe the blame should be laid at their door: it is the Government who are wholly responsible for this mess. Last year they forced through the new dentistry contracts against the wishes of many in the dentistry industry and their bungled handling of the NHS is simply making the situation worse.

Dentists told me at the time that the Government's changes would lead to less, not more, patients receiving NHS care and their prediction has proved accurate. In only one year 23,000 less patients are receiving NHS care.

It's clear the new contracts have failed to improve access to NHS dentistry; it's time for a wholesale review of these contracts to see how they can be reformed to counter the further loss of NHS dentistry in Suffolk. Currently less than half of Suffolk's population receive NHS dental treatment; the Government needs to start listening to those front line professionals and patients and put a contract in place that emphasises NHS care and not NHS cuts."