'Desperate state of NHS dentistry is putting more pressures on other services'

14 July 2023 , 21:52
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The Government has failed to invest in NHS dental services (Stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The Government has failed to invest in NHS dental services (Stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

How have we reached a situation where one in 10 adults has done DIY dentistry?

Nobody should be having to pull out their own teeth. Nor should anyone have to travel hundreds of miles in order to receive treatment.

Yet that is what’s happening today because of the Government’s failure to invest in NHS dental services. When 90% of NHS practices are no longer accepting new patients it is not surprising that one in five adults are no longer registered with a dentist.

The desperate state of NHS dentistry is also putting additional pressures on other NHS services, with tooth decay now the main reason for a child to be admitted to hospital.

'Desperate state of NHS dentistry is putting more pressures on other services' eidqiqtuiddeinvOne in five adults are no longer registered with a dentist (Stock photo) (Getty Images)

MPs on the Health and Social Care committee are right to blast ministers for failing to grasp the scale of this crisis.

Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decadeTeachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade

Fifteen years ago the same committee warned that fundamental reform was needed if NHS dentistry was to survive.

Ministers refused to act on that warning.

Worse, they still have no plan on how to ensure that everyone can have access to a local dentist at a price they can afford.

Striking role

The bright lights of Hollywood were plunged into darkness as thousands of actors started strike action.

They have walked off set in protest at the poor repeat fees they receive from streaming giants. They also want safeguards that their jobs will not be replaced by AI-generated versions of their faces and voices.

The focus will be on the big names but big pay cheques are the exception rather than the rule. Many actors earn less than £22,000 a year.

If studio bosses want this story to have a Hollywood ending they should start treating all their employees fairly.

TV dinners

Coronation Street’s Freshco could soon be turned into a real store.

What’s next? A Til Death Do Us Part undertakers or a Last of the Summer Wine vineyard?

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