Hampshire residents could benefit from NHS dental care boost
More than 30,000 urgent and emergency dental appointments will soon be available for Hampshire residents.
As part of a wider plan to address challenges in NHS dentistry, the government and NHS will roll out 700,000 extra urgent appointments.
In the South East, 26 per cent of patients who attempted to see an NHS dentist in the past two years were unable to secure an appointment, with access to NHS dentistry varying across different areas.
Under the initiative, 30,032 urgent care appointments will be delivered in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The government has stated that these measures aim to address long-standing issues in NHS dentistry. A previous scheme, the New Patient Premium, was introduced to improve access, but recent figures indicate that £88m was spent on the initiative without achieving significant results.
Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, welcomed the announcement, describing the new appointments as “vital” and “desperately needed.”
She said: “Everyone in Portsmouth knows the scale of the challenge facing NHS dentistry after years of failure under the Tories. Every time I knock on doors people raise it with me.
“In recent years it has become near impossible to get an NHS dental appointment, and it is scandalous that the number one reason that five to nine year olds are admitted to hospital is because of tooth decay.
“Of course it cannot be rebuilt overnight, but I am delighted that this Labour Government is taking such an important step not only repairing NHS dentistry but making it fit for the future.
“Since my election I have been lobbying the Health Secretary at every opportunity for urgent action on dentistry in Portsmouth, I’m pleased they’ve listened to my calls.”
The additional appointments will be available from April, focusing on areas with limited NHS dental access, often referred to as "dental deserts."
The government is recruiting dentists for underserved areas and reforming the dental contract to prioritise prevention and NHS dentist retention.
A £20,000 "golden hello" incentive is being offered to up to 240 dentists in hard-to-recruit locations. While none of these roles were filled by July, 68 positions have since been secured, with more expected.