MPs back latest calls from BDA to reform NHS dentistry

This service will be eliminated if there are any more cuts. – Parliamentarians have supported the BDA's most recent proposal for changes to the NHS dental program. The administration was urged by MPs in a vote supported by all parties to present an action plan to address the access and workforce crises. BDA chair Eddie Crouch stated, "There is simply no more fat to clip, short of denying access to an even higher proportion of the population," in an open letter to the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.

We never thought we'd have to defend the woefully insufficient resources that are now being provided to us. But it appears we have to. However, the harsh reality is that sustainable investment is absolutely needed if we want to save this service from oblivion.

This comes as new stories of the patients' plight make headlines. According to a recent BBC story, patients in Wales have been waiting more than two years for an NHS appointment. 15,500 individuals are currently on the central waiting list, according to health specialists. Ministers have maintained that the release of about 112,000 new patient appointments was a result of contract adjustments.

Fair funding

The general dental practice committee of the British Dental Association is led by Shawn Charlwood. MPs from both sides of the House have acknowledged the gravity of the situation, but the government has not yet awoken, he said. "Short-term remedies and patchwork at the edges won't save NHS dentistry." Our patients want equitable funding and substantive transformation. "Any additional cuts will render this service extinct," it states.

The organization points out that Jeremy Hunt supported dental reform and a fully funded workforce plan for the NHS in his previous capacity as chair of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee.