Billy Bunter
Thursday 4th April 2024 1:34pm [Edited]
The Sussex Coast
4,688 posts
Quote: lofthouse @ 4th April 2024, 12:43 PM
Dentistry in this country is an absolute joke - another tory failure
From "Denristy" 3 May 2007:
Tony Blair has acknowledged that the government has failed in its promise to provide access for all to an NHS dentist.
In September 1999 the Prime Minister pledged that within two years everyone would have an NHS dentist no matter where they lived. Eight years later, less than half of the adult population is registered.
After being directly challenged at Prime Minister's question time by Liberal Democrat MP Mark Hunter, who asked when the promise would be fulfilled, Mr Blair replied: 'It is and has been a real problem. I entirely accept that.'
But he went on to add that he was powerless to prevent dentists leaving the NHS for the private sector, saying: 'The reason for it is very simple: even though we have increased the number of NHS dentists, we cannot stop dentists going outside the NHS if they wish to do so.
'They are entitled to do that and despite the fact that we are paying far more and hiring far more within the NHS, we have not been able to fulfil that pledge'.
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Sandra Gidley added: 'The Prime Minister cannot shirk responsibility for the exodus of dentists from NHS work. It is very much his fault. It was his ill-thought out and rushed dental reforms which have caused so many dentists to opt out of the NHS and which left many dentists with no money to carry out NHS work'
https://dentistry.co.uk/2007/05/03/i-broke-dentist-pledge-admits-blair/