10 March 2024 , 21:20
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The collapse of NHS dentistry services is not just leaving people in pain. It is also harming the economy.
New figures show that one in 10 adults in the UK – some four million people – have had to take time off work in the past three years because of dental problems. These lost working hours are a consequence of the Tories’ failure to fund dentistry properly.
Since the Conservatives came to power, the money for NHS dentistry has been cut by a third in real terms. At the same time, the perverse system of contracts acts as a disincentive for dentists to take on more patients.
The latest NHS data shows that 83% of surgeries are not accepting new adult patients.
Given this dire state of affairs, it is not surprising that nearly 200,000 people have signed our petition calling on the Government to make sure everyone who wants to can access a NHS dentist. The Conservatives need to wake up to the crisis they have created.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
Nasty tricks
The more desperate the Tories get, the nastier they become.
After last week’s dud of a Budget, Rishi Sunak is now plotting a fresh war on the welfare state in an attempt to restore his party’s flagging fortunes. The Prime Minister has suggested he will clamp down on benefits to fund yet another round of pre-election giveaways.
Further social security cuts would only push more people below the breadline and leave more children living in poverty.
Instead of scapegoating claimants, the Conservatives should create an economy where work pays. With more than 2.2million working people on Universal Credit, the Tories’ narrative of shirkers versus strivers is false.
Great for Kate
The Princess of Wales looks a picture of health in the first photograph of her released since she had surgery in January.
Knowing that she is on the road to recovery must have made it an extra special Mother’s Day for the whole family.