According to a recent article, experts are urging the health secretary to prioritise the reform of NHS dentistry as a quarter of a million-strong petition was delivered to Downing Street earlier in the week.

The British Dental Association (BDA) has made a warning to the government that it must “move at pace” to deliver on pledges to save dentistry provided by the NHS, dropping in line with the 250,000 petition.

BDA chair Eddie Crouch and NHS hospital dentist and author of the petition, Tom Thayer, handed the petition over, joined by a patient who had his life saved due to attending a routine NHS dental check-up. MPs and campaigners were also in attendance.

There have yet to be any formal negotiations undertaken regarding the NHS dental contract reforms. Health secretary, Wes Streeting, this week pledged to improve dental access, stating to MPs that ‘NHS dentistry is at death’s door’.

Streeting also stipulated that dental appointments were being delivered ‘as fast as we can’ and promised to fix the ‘front door’ for access to dental care via the NHS.

Eddie Crouch, the British Dental Association’s (BDA) Chair, said:

“The public and this profession have a simple message for the PM. 

“The clock is ticking on NHS dentistry and this government must make good on its promises. If reform is kicked into the long grass there won’t be a service left to save.”

Regarding the absence of mention of NHS dental care in the Prime Minister’s recent ‘plan for change’, Shawn Charlwood of the BDA stated:

“Past promises on NHS dentistry are nowhere to be seen in this ‘plan for change’. 

“This crisis requires an action plan and a clear timetable. Warm words won’t get millions the care they need.’”

My two-penneth

As mentioned in the most recent blog post I made prior to this one, this is just another case of ‘all talk, no action’. It is deeply worrying that the PM’s recent plan didn’t include NHS dentistry in any way, and Wes Streeting’s statements do not fill me with any confidence.

time will tell, however, and we will see what – if anything – comes after this week’s delivery of the 250,000+ petition.