Ben Everitt MP for Milton Keynes North and Iain Stewart MP for Milton Keynes South voted against measures tonight that would of ensured all residents in MK could access an NHS dentist despite local patients finding it impossible to see a dentist.
The vote came as new figures revealed that only one dental surgery in Milton Keynes is accepting new adult patients out of the 26 dental surgeries who have provided information.
The motion tabled by the Labour Party proposed:
700,000 more urgent dentistry appointments
Incentives to recruit dentists to the areas most in need
Supervised toothbrushing in schools for three- to five-year-olds
Reform of the NHS dental contract so everyone who needs a dentist can get one
Labour would fund the plan by abolishing the non-dom tax status, a tax break which allows wealthy people who live and work in Britain to pay their taxes overseas.
The collapse of NHS dentistry has left millions of patients unable to get an appointment when they need one. Analysis of national patient survey data suggests that last year, 4.75 million people were either told there were no appointments available or the practice wasn’t taking on new patients, when they last tried to book an appointment.
Healthwatch England has reported horror stories of people forced to pull their own teeth out, with 1 in 10 Brits claiming to have attempted their own dental work.
A recent report from the Nuffield Trust warned that, under the Tories, NHS dentistry “is at its most perilous point in its 75-year history,” and suggested that it may no longer be offered to all patients. The government has launched a pilot in Cornwall where NHS dentistry will only be offered to children and the most vulnerable.
Emily Darlington, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Milton Keynes Central said "Patients in Milton Keynes are finding it impossible to see a dentist, with some having to resort to DIY dentistry. Yet when they had the chance to do something about it, MK's Tory MPs voted against it. It is time for change."
Chris Curtis, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Milton Keynes North said: “The Conservatives think that people should be happy with the poor service we have today. Another five years of the Conservatives will see NHS dentistry gone for good. Labour has a plan to rescue NHS dentistry from this crisis and get patients seen on time again. We will pay for it by abolishing the non-dom tax status, because people who live and work in Britain should pay their taxes here too.”