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SHOCKING
NUMBERS NEED EMERGENCY DENTAL TREATMENT ACROSS
EAST SUSSEX DOWNS AND WEALD
New
official figures expose consequences of lack
of access to NHS dentists
An
alarming number of people across East Sussex
Downs and Weald need emergency dental treatment
in hospital because of a lack of access to NHS
dentists, it was revealed this week. These urgent
admissions are a direct result of patients not
having an NHS dentist who is normally able to
treat them in an emergency.
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New
figures extracted by the Conservatives show
that across the country, 22,000 people had
to be admitted to hospital for emergency dental
treatment last year. These emergency hospital
admissions are costing the NHS £13 million
a year.
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In
East Sussex Downs and Weald, covering the
Eastbourne area, 131 people received emergency
dental treatment in hospitals, costing the
local NHS an estimated £78,024. Most
of this has to be borne by already over-stretched
A&E departments.
-
This
comes as the latest NHS figures show that
48% of the population across East Sussex Downs
and Weald have not been seen by an NHS dentist
in the last two years.
Nigel
Waterson said:
“These
figures underline once again this Government’s
appalling failure on NHS dentistry. 48% of people
in our area have been unable to see an NHS dentist.
It comes as no surprise that 131 people have
been forced to attend hospital last year for
emergency dental care – straining our
over-stretched A&E departments still further.”
“We
need to cut out Labour’s waste and bureaucracy
in NHS dentistry and restore access to an NHS
dentist to the million people who have lost
one under this Government.”
Conservatives
have announced a series of reforms to NHS dentistry
which will improve NHS care. The comprehensive
plan proposes:
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Creating new incentives for dentists to spend
more time on preventative dental care, improving
oral health and reducing long-term costs.
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Restoring
access to an NHS dentist for the one million
patients who have lost it under Labour, by
removing costly bureaucracy and cutting out
waste.
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Using money currently spent on carrying out
unnecessary treatments to reintroduce dental
screening for children in schools.
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Ensuring
that taxpayer-trained dentists work for the
NHS for at least five years.
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