HEWITT TURNS BACK ON CHESTERFIELD AS DENTISTS ABANDON NHS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 26th May 2006

Information provided to Chesterfield Liberal Democrats by Chesterfield PCT reveals that there are no longer any dental practices in the constituency who are currently treating new NHS patients, leaving many local adults and children without access to regular dental care.

The introduction, on 1 April 2006, of Patricia Hewitt's new dental contract has inflamed the crisis in NHS dentistry. Yet the Secretary of State for Health is refusing to address the situation in Chesterfield.

Paul Holmes MP said:

"My postbag has been filled to the brim with constituents' concerns over their struggle to find an NHS dentist.

"A year ago, in answer to a Parliamentary Question I asked the Secretary of State for Health, I received a list of the dentists in Chesterfield who were supposed to be taking on new NHS patients. I have just asked exactly the same question again and was told 'the information is not held centrally'. Why is the Government refusing to reveal this information this year? Like their recent decision to ban queues of people seeking to enrol at any new dentist who opens up (enrolment has to be by phone) they are like an Ostrich simply seeking to hide the evidence of their failed policies." "There is a growing decay in NHS dentistry provision, here in Chesterfield and across the country. In 1999 Tony Blair promised that by 2001 everyone would have access to an NHS dentist. Not only has this not happened - the situation has actually worsened."