Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse has said that residents are “being let down” over the continued crisis being faced by those wanting to see an NHS dentist.
Data revealed by a Parliamentary Question has shown that the South West is one of the worst regions in the country for the total number of dentists offering NHS services.
The data shows the number of dentists undertaking National Health Service activity in each clinical commissioning group (CCG) in England in 2020/21.
The South West was found to be one of the worst areas, with just four dentists undertaking NHS dentistry per 10,000 people.
In the South West region, the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire area has the lowest number of NHS dentists, with Somerset having the highest number.
The data shows that just over 23,700 dentists are providing NHS services across England.
MP Wera Hobhouse commented: “Our NHS dental system is at breaking point. The Conservatives are failing people across the South West. It is no wonder that people are turning to DIY dentistry.
“These figures lay bare the Conservative’s complete failure to look after people’s health.
“They talk a good game on the NHS but they are leaving so many people without access to dentists. This is damaging their health and increasing pressure in the long-run.
“The Conservatives are asleep at the wheel when it comes to the crisis in NHS dentistry. To be clear, this crisis is not the fault of dentists.
“They work extremely hard and have to operate within the system that exists. But that system is broken and only the Government can fix it.
“The Government needs to urgently review the system which is driving dentists away from performing NHS activity. The lack of NHS dentists across the country is a real crisis.
“As well as being unable to sort out dental pain in the short-term, people are storing up problems for the future without regular checkups.
“People across the South West are being let down by the Conservatives who are taking them for granted.”
