A petition from Mirror urging for increased funding in NHS dentistry was submitted to the Government today. Over 120,000 individuals signed the online petition, emphasizing that the current £3 billion allocated for dental care in England only caters to half of the population in need of dental services. Comparatively, the Westminster government invests nearly half less per capita in dental services for England than other UK countries.
The Mirror, in collaboration with the British Dental Association (BDA) and advocacy group 38 Degrees, initiated the Dentists for All campaign. This campaign launched a petition demanding immediate funding for NHS dentistry.
BDA Chair Eddie Crouch stated that the lack of new investment is resulting in long queues at dental practices and distressing situations reminiscent of the Victorian era. The increasing oral health crisis in England has left 14 million adults with unmet dental needs.
Due to a decade of funding cuts, many dentists are no longer accepting new adult patients, forcing individuals to resort to extracting their own teeth. The current NHS dental payment contract is being reformed to address these issues that have led to a shift of dentists to private practice.
38 Degrees CEO, Matthew McGregor, emphasized the urgency of adequate funding for NHS dentistry to ensure accessible and affordable dental care for millions of individuals facing pain and anxiety due to unmet dental needs.
The total budget for NHS dentistry in England has stagnated at £3 billion since 2010, resulting in a real-terms budget reduction of over a third. Despite inflation, government funding for dentistry has decreased, while patient charges have risen significantly.
The Government’s reluctance to increase direct funding has coincided with substantial rises in patient charges, such as a £128 increase in denture costs since 2010. These financial challenges highlight the pressing need for enhanced funding and support for NHS dentistry in England.