Dental access still a major crisis, say campaigners

A group campaigning for improved dental provisions said there was still "a major crisis" after the NHS said it planned to increase access to appointments.

Toothless in Suffolk and Toothless in England protested outside Endeavour House in Ipswich, the headquarters of Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), on Thursday.

Mark Jones, from Felixstowe and co-founder of Toothless in Suffolk, warned there were still parts of the county without access to a dentist, leading people to carry out their own DIY work.

Ed Garratt, chief executive of the ICB, said it had identified five areas in Suffolk and north Essex where it would look to provide 250,000 appointments over the next year.

"We're still in a major crisis across the country, across the county especially," Mr Jones, 61, explained.

"Parts of the county are underserved, they just cannot access NHS dentistry and we're here to remind the ICB they have a duty of care to the patients of Suffolk and that duty of care is not being delivered in any honest sense.

"They've sat on their hands, we've given them suggestions, we've given them an alternative way in which to deliver NHS dentistry, all of that has fallen on deaf ears."

He warned the campaign would continue to be a "struggle" until there was an NHS dentist "for everyone".

Lynn Marsling, 77, joined the campaign said she felt people were still suffering.

"Nothing's being done," she said. "They say they're listening, but we want to see action.

"Words are OK, but we want action and we want it now."

Dr Garratt explained that five areas across Suffolk had been assessed as having a shortfall in the level of primary dental care commissioned. These included:

• Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
• Brandon, Suffolk
• Eye and North West Suffolk
• Saxmundham/Leiston and North East Suffolk
• Tendring, Essex

He added the ICB would be investing £7.6m a year, subject to a procurement being successful.

"That's a 10-year contract, so that's a £76m investment over 10 years," Dr Garratt said.

Dr Garratt admitted there would be challenges, however.

"The real challenge is getting consistency across Suffolk and north-east Essex," he continued.

"There are certain communities now that have adequate provision and there are some where there's a lack of provisions.

"We're trying to get a more consistent picture."

Dr Garratt said the ICB was "aligned" with Toothless in Suffolk and it welcomed its "push".

He added there was now "sufficient" urgent dental provisions locally following the opening of the University of Suffolk Dental CIC in Ipswich and that there was "no need for DIY dentistry anymore".

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