The NHS dental care crisis

Countless constituents have been in touch to tell me about the extreme hurdles they face getting access to dental treatment – if they can get it at all.

The lack of provision in Liverpool particularly for children has become so routine that tooth extraction is now the most common procedure amongst 5-9 year olds carried out at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Yet there was a £10 million underspend in primary care dentistry by the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board but instead of investing into preventative care they have been told to use this money to balance their budget.

Oral and dental care is health care. It must be fully provided for by the NHS. If constituents in Liverpool Riverside cannot access the healthcare they need when they need it, I am afraid that we have a national health service in name only.