1,500 local children crossed off NHS dental lists in last year - Burstow

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 10th Apr 2006

In the week following the implementation of the controversial new NHS dental contract, new figures uncovered by Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow show a sharp drop in the number of local children registered with NHS dentists. One and a half thousand fewer local children were registered in Sutton and Merton PCT in 2005 than in 2004. ��

Paul Burstow MP has written to Caroline Taylor Chief Executive of Sutton and Merton PCT about specific concerns regarding local children's access to NHS dentistry under the new contract following news that local health bosses have refused contracts to practices offering NHS treatment to children only and are scrapping the school dental inspection service.

The figures also show the overall number of people registered with an NHS dentist in Sutton and Merton PCT has fallen by more than 18,500 or 11% between 1997 and 2005.

Paul Burstow MP said:

"There is a growing decay in NHS dentistry provision, here in Sutton and across the country. Things were bad when the Conservatives were in power. They have got worse under Labour, and they are set to get worse still.

"These new figures show that NHS dentistry had reached crisis point even before these new contracts were imposed. Now the situation looks even grimmer for local people as many dentists are refusing to sign the contract and are leaving the NHS altogether.

"It is of particular concern that new local arrangements seem to be clawing back services for children following the sharp drop in children with access to NHS dentists last year.

"The new dental contracts are not giving local NHS dentists enough confidence to make a long-term commitment to the NHS. It is no wonder the dentists have lost faith in the Government as there was no consultation period for the new contract which many dentists received with only a month to go until the April deadline."