Lloyd Hatton MP Joins Dorset MPs to Tackle ‘Dental Desert’ in Dorset and Secure More NHS Dentist Appointments

Lloyd Hatton, MP for South Dorset, has joined fellow Dorset Labour MPs Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West), Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole), and Tom Hayes (Bournemouth East) to push for more action to tackle the county’s lack of NHS dentist appointments. 

Access to NHS dentistry has become a postcode lottery across the country. And the South West region is the worst in the country for access to dentists – with 99.1% not accepting new adult NHS patients. Locally, almost 60% of Dorset adults and 47% of children have not seen an NHS dentist in the past year with no dentist in South Dorset currently accepting new NHS patients.

In response to the crisis, all four Dorset Labour MPs have sent a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, calling for urgent action to address the lack of appointments in the county. 

On the letter, Mr Hatton said: “I have had countless conversations with constiteunts who have struggled to access NHS dental care. With the unavailability of new appointments, many patients are having to go as far as Southampton or Bristol to access the services they require. 

“This is unacceptable, I will do everything I can to secure additional NHS dentists appointments here in South Dorset. And I will continue to work with the Health Secretary to get the right outcome for our community.”

He continues: “Patients should be able to recieve both routine and emergency dental care close to their homes, without having to worry about the extra financial and time costs that come with travelling long distances to see a dentist.”

Earlier this month, Lloyd Hatton also spoke alongside Chief Medical Officer, Sir Chris Whitty, in a Public Accounts Committee session about the dental crisis. This session was dedicated to exploring the failure to recover NHS dental care up until now. 

At the session, Mr Hatton commented: “Recruitment is a huge issue.One of my constituents, a sergeant stationed in Bovington Camp, has said he is unable to get himself, his wife or his three children registered, despite serving in the Armed Forces. It’s good to see ‘golden hello’ incentives for new dentists, but these need to be targeted at the areas with the greatest need.” 

All four Labour MPs welcomed the recent government announcement that patients across the country are set to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments – 13,569 of which are allocated to Dorset, but this does not tackle the lack of access for constituent to routine NHS dental check-ups and appointments.

Moving forward, the four Dorset MPs have requested a meeting with the Heath Secretary to discuss this matter further, and have invited Mr Streeting to Dorset to speak with patients and dentists first-hand to understand the extent of the crisis.