ALL of Cornwall’s Conservative MPs Failed to Vote For Dentistry Rescue Plan despite 99% of dentists in the Southwest shutting door to new patients.

Every single one of Cornwall’s Conservative MPs voted against a motion in the House of Commons to rescue NHS dentistry, despite local patients finding it impossible to see a dentist.

The motion tabled by the Labour Party proposed:

• 700,000 more urgent dentistry appointments
• Incentives to recruit dentists to the areas most in need
• Supervised toothbrushing in schools for three- to five-year-olds
• Reform of the NHS dental contract so everyone who needs a dentist can get one.

Labour would fund the plan by abolishing the non-dom tax status, a tax break which allows wealthy people who live and work in Britain to pay their taxes overseas.

The vote came as new figures revealed that, of the 456 dental surgeries who have provided a recent update in Southwest region, over 99% are not currently accepting any new adult patients. In Cornwall, there are none!

Despite this, all of Cornwall’s MPs voted against the plan, despite having no plan of their own.

The collapse of NHS dentistry has left millions of patients unable to get an appointment when they need one. Analysis of patient survey data suggests that last year, 4.75 million people were either told there were no appointments available or the practice wasn’t taking on new patients, when they last tried to book an appointment.

Healthwatch England has reported horror stories of people forced to pull their own teeth out, with 1 in 10 Brits claiming to have attempted their own dental work.

A recent report from the Nuffield Trust warned that, under the Tories, NHS dentistry “is at its most perilous point in its 75-year history,” and suggested that it may no longer be offered to all patients.

Jayne Kirkham, Labour Candidate for Truro and Falmouth Constituency said:

“Patients in Cornwall are finding it impossible to see a dentist, with some having to resort to DIY dentistry. In Falmouth 3000 people are losing their NHS dental practice and sepsis due to mouth infections is the main reason children attend A&E. Labour has a plan to rescue NHS dentistry from this crisis, change the dental contract so it works and get patients seen on time again.”

Perran Moon, Labour Candidate for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle said:

“After 14 years of Conservative government mismanagement of dentistry, we are at the shocking state where DIY dentistry is commonplace and tooth decay is one of the main reasons that children visit A&E. It’s not only our children’s teeth that are rotten. It’s also this government and the sooner they give us the chance to vote for change and Labour’s plan to help our NHS dentistry services back to their feet the better.”

Check which MPs voted for the motion here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/search/Divisions?house=commons