Dental crisis is Government's hidden legacy

9.55.15am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 11th Jun 2008

Liz Leffman discusses the dental crisis with dentist Dave Evans

The NHS dental crisis is going from bad to worse and is this Government's major hidden legacy, according to Prospective Lib Dem MP for Meon Valley Liz Leffman.

Recently released Government figures reveal almost one million fewer people are seeing an NHS dentist than before Labour's recent reforms of dental contracts, while 3,700 people lose access to their NHS dentist every day.

Liz said: "No matter how bad the situation gets, it seems the Government will never wake up to the abject failure of the new dental contracts brought in two years ago.

"Up to 64 per cent of people in Meon Valley have been unable to register with an NHS dentist, the cost of dental check-ups has soared and research suggests more than 11 million British adults have not seen a dentist in the last two years.

"The crisis in NHS dentistry is this Government's hidden legacy."

Liz added: "We need an urgent review into why reforms undertaken just two years ago have completely failed to improve dental treatment and access across the country."