HUHNE PRESSES MINISTER ON SHORTFALL IN EASTLEIGH'S NHS DENTISTS

3.17.05pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 29th Jun 2005

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne today pressed the Government minister in charge of National Health Service dentists to visit Eastleigh to see the difficulties experienced by people in registering for NHS treatment.

Mr Huhne was speaking in the debate in the House of Commons on NHS dentistry initiated by the Liberal Democrats, and pointed out that nearly half of all people in the Eastleigh constituency are not registered with an NHS dentists.

Mr Huhne asked whether the Government was taking into account local factors such as higher NHS costs, and pointed to the extreme problems revealed by a recent survey undertaken by the Southern Daily Echo that showed no dentists in the area prepared to take NHS patients.

Rosie Winterton, the NHS minister in charge of dentistry, said that the Government planned improvements thanks to more training and also a new dentist's contract. However, she said that it was up to the local primary care trust to address problems faced locally.

Mr Huhne said that he was disappointed with the minister's response, as Ms Winterton appeared to be "in denial" about the problems faced by areas in the south of England with higher costs but inadequate funding to meet those costs in providing a standard service.

The Liberal Democrat motion noted with concern the crisis in NHS dentistry, together with the problems in accessing other primary care services.

Mr Huhne said that no-one denied that the Government inherited a serious problem. "Many dentists chose to undertake more private practice as a consequence of the new contract introduced under the Conservatives in 1990 and the subsequent reduction in dentists fees in 1992. The Conservatives closed two dental schools and the number of adults registered with an NHS dentist fell by 5 million between 1994 and 1998.

"However, the Prime Minister promised in 1999 that everyone within the next two years will be able once again to see an NHS dentist just by phoning NHS direct. Labour has failed to deliver any clear improvement, particularly in high cost areas like southern Hampshire" said Mr Huhne.

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