During Health and Social Care questions in the House of Commons today, Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has raised the fact that thousands of his constituents are to be left without access to dental care.
It has emerged that dental practises in Southsea, Paulsgrove and Portsea will be closing their doors for the last time at the end of July following a decision made by the Swiss investment firm who owned the practices.
Mr Morgan has said:
“Raising this matter in the chamber is an opportunity to directly ask the Minister responsible what the Government plans to do to deal with these concerns. The prospect of anyone in Portsmouth having to go without healthcare is deeply concerning.
NHS dentistry is in a recruitment and retention crisis, with 75% of NHS practices in England struggling to fill vacancies last year according to BDA research.
As the last in line for funding and low on the Government list of priorities, it is clear dental health is a Cinderella service, without the happy ending.
This latest evidence is evidence that its future can no longer be guaranteed”.
Only 49% of adults in Portsmouth accessed NHS dentistry in the last 2 years, with over 10,000 trying and failing to make an appointment. Only 56% of children in the city saw a dentist in the last year, even though dental care for under 18s is free and they should ideally have a check-up every 6 months. The closure of three dental practices in the city is likely to exacerbate these issues.
The Portsmouth MP said:
“Access to healthcare is a fundamental part of what it is to live in the UK. The fact that people will now have to travel long distances by car, ferry and bus is to reach these much-needed services is highly unacceptable.
It is not just those who have lost their practices who will be affected, the large influx of patients flocking to the remaining practices in the surrounding areas is likely to cause longer waiting times and more strain on services. The Government must do better.”
Mr Morgan’s action in Parliament today forms part of a comprehensive action plan to help safeguard the city’s dental practices.
Mr Morgan is organising a summit with NHS England to look at how the closures can be mitigated against, he has arranged a meeting with the Chair of the British Dental Association, has written to the Health Secretary and submitted a string of Parliamentary written questions to the department.
