On May 16, 2023, Westminster Hall hosted a debate on the state of NHS dental services in the East of England.

Richard Bacon, Conservative MP for South Norfolk, opened the session. He said, “I am sure that I am not alone among hon. Members in finding that the subject of access to a dentist is one of the largest in my constituency postbag and inbox.”

Richard went on to lay out the current issues facing the services. He stated, “The total number of dentists working for the NHS and the activity that they have provided has fallen, and that the total number of patients seen by an NHS dentist has fallen by 900,000.”

The minister said, “I do not like saying that as a supporter of the Government, but I do not think the “collapse of NHS dentistry” is too extreme when we see what is happening.”

From April 24, 2023, dental charges in England increased by 8.5 per cent. At the time of the announcement, Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, said, “This hike won’t put a single penny into a struggling service. Our patients are being asked to pay more simply so ministers can pay less.

“The government did not have to go down this path during a cost-of-living crisis. This is a cold, calculated political choice, that will hit millions on modest incomes.”

Richard pointed out that in comparison to “the overall cost of the NHS”, the government spends “piffling sums” on dentistry.

He closed his statements by saying, “On present trends, it will continue to get worse—much worse—unless the Government make a decisive step change and match that decision with the right resources in the right places within a contractual framework that incentivises the right behaviour. That is what the Government need to do.”

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