NHS Dentistry continues to be one of the biggest issues in my inbox — and I have always been clear that EVERYONE who needs NHS Dentistry should be able to access it, when they need it.
That’s why I welcome the Government’s NHS Dental Recovery Plan this week, which includes:
✅ 2.5 million more NHS dental appointments
✅ £200m more NHS Dentistry funding — bringing the total to over £3 billion a year
✅ Mobile NHS Dental vans
✅ £20,000 incentives for under-served areas like Mid Norfolk
✅ Commitment to explore new dental schools such as at the UEA
✅ Smile for life programme for children’s dentistry
✅ More money to support NHS dentists to treat those who have been waiting longest for Dentistry
This is a significant step forwards, and I am pleased that Ministers have listened and acted following on from my, and others, repeatedly raising this in Parliament and in private meetings.
Rest assured however, I will continue lobbying ministers to make sure that Mid Norfolk is recognised as needing NHS Dentistry support, to make sure it benefits from the above measures including the bonuses to attract new NHS Dentists to our area — and I will very actively encourage them to go even further.
Furthermore, I will continue to work closely with all of my fellow Norfolk MPs to make sure that we secure the new dental school at the UEA — meaning that we can continue to train the dentists we need right here in Norfolk, encouraging them to stay here (with the government also looking at tie-ins to NHS service for graduates). (See more here).
We have seen recent improvements to urgent dental care provision through the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board’s short-term dental plan, but I very much appreciate there is much more to do.
The NWICB is currently running a consultation on their long-term dental plan and I would encourage all of my constituents who are concerned about NHS dental provision to make their views known.
To find out more about the consultation, please click here
To read more about my wider NHS Dentists campaign, please click here
