Surge in NHS Dentists Leaving Southport: A 25% Increase Since 2018/19

Southport sees 25% rise in the number of NHS dentists leaving as Lib Dems announce £750 million package

28th June 2024 - New analysis from the Lib Dems show that the number of NHS dentists that have left dentistry in Southport has risen by 25% since 2018/19. The situation threatens to get worse with 19% of NHS dentists in Southport nearing retirement age creating the potential for even fewer dentists to cope with already overstretched services.

Southport Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate Erin Harvey supports the Lib Dem £750 million ‘rescue package’ for dentistry which would mean around a quarter increase in funding on the NHS dentistry budget in England, which would help reform the NHS contract to encourage more dentists to take on NHS work.

The party’s plan, backed by funding of £750m a year by the end of the Parliament, would guarantee access to an NHS dentist for everyone needing urgent and emergency care by:

·       Bringing dentists back to the NHS from the private sector by fixing the broken NHS dental contract and using flexible commissioning to meet patient needs.

·       Introducing an emergency scheme to guarantee access to free NHS dental check-ups for those already eligible: children, new mothers, those who are pregnant and those on low incomes.

Erin commented: “Speaking to people across Southport and the Northern Parishes, it’s clear that access to dentistry and GP’s is a major concern.  Many people, including increasing numbers of children, are going without what should be the very basics of dental care as they can’t even get registered with a dentist. It’s completely unacceptable for people to put up with these Victorian standards of care.

“The Conservative party has pushed local health services and dentistry to their knees and it is people in our community paying the price.”