James Wild MP highlighted the importance the government's dental recovery plan to make it easier to see a dentist in North West Norfolk.
Commenting on the government’s dental recovery plan, James Wild MP for North West Norfolk said:
“Making it easier to see a NHS dentists is an issue I have campaigned on repeatedly and the new Smile practice has treated thousands of people but more needs to be done. So I welcome the new measures targeted at areas such as Norfolk including a new patient bonus, up to £20,000 to encourage dentists to work in rural areas, rolling out dental vans to provide treatment in coastal areas, and a focus on prevention and better oral health for children.
As part of longer-term action, I support plans which are well developed for undergraduate training places at UEA. This would help address a lack of training locally and complement the planned provision of dental apprenticeships at the College of West Anglia.”
Under the plans, supported by £200m of additional government funding:
- NHS dentists will be given a ‘new patient’ payment of between £15-£50 (depending on treatment need) to treat around a million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or more.
- In areas with the highest demand, around 240 dentists will be offered one-off payments of up to £20,000 for working in under-served areas for up to three years.
- The government roll out a new ‘Smile For Life’ programme which will see parents and parents-to-be offered advice for baby gums and milk teeth, with the aim that by the time children go to school, every child will see tooth brushing as a normal part of their day.
- New ways of delivering care in rural and coastal areas will also be rolled out, including launching ‘dental vans’ to help reach the most isolated communities including Norfolk.
- NHS work will also be made more attractive to dental teams with the minimum value of activity increasing to £28 (from £23).
Published by the NHS and the government, the plan could see up to 2.5 million additional NHS dental appointments delivered for patients over the next 12 months, including up to 1.5 million extra treatments being delivered.
The public will also be able to see which practices in their local area are accepting new patients on the NHS website and the NHS App. To promote the increased availability of appointments, the government will also roll out a marketing campaign encouraging anyone who has not been seen by a dentist for the past two years to access treatment.
In addition, for the first time ever, a water fluoridation programme will be rolled out by government, which could reduce the number of tooth extractions due to decay in the most deprived areas of the country.
Subject to consultation, the programme would enable an additional 1.6 million people to benefit from water fluoridation, first expanding across the North East.
The health service will build a pipeline of new dentists and other dental care professionals, including increasing dental training places by up to 40% by 2031/32, as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and James is backing a bid from the UEA to have a Dental School offering undergraduate training places.
The plan, published today, also includes new measures to attract dentists to work in the NHS, including supporting more graduate dentists to work in NHS care. The government will consult on whether dentists should be required to work in the NHS for a period upon completion of their training.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:
“NHS dentistry was hit hard by the pandemic and while services are improving – with 23% more treatments delivered last year compared to the previous year – we know that for too many people, accessing a dentist isn’t as easy as it should be.
That’s why we’re taking action today to boost the number of NHS dentists, help cut waiting lists and put NHS dentistry on a sustainable footing for the long-term. Backed by £200 million, this new recovery plan will deliver millions more NHS dental appointments and provide easier and faster access to care for people right across the country.”
