Brake Launches 'Desperate for Dentists' Campaign

2.37.40pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 29th Apr 2007

Tom Brake's Health Survey Reveals that 7 out of 10 Residents Have Trouble Finding an NHS Dentist

In February, Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington dispatched his 2007 Health Survey to around 70,000 Carshalton and Wallington residents.

The feedback has been phenomenal so far, with many thousands of constituents responding positively to Tom Brake's initiative aimed at identifying their likes and dislikes about the health service locally and other key issues. One of the key problems the survey identifies is how difficult residents find it to register with an NHS dentist.

Tom Brake said, "I am disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that 7 out of 10 respondents have encountered problems when trying to register with an NHS dentist. This problem is not solely confined to Carshalton and Wallington - nationally 75% of dentists are 'not taking on NHS patients'."

In response to this, Tom is launching his Desperate for Dentists campaign, aimed at ensuring constituents get access to quality dental care and that the government takes preventative dental care more seriously. This could be achieved by providing contracts for dentists that do not force them to abandon the NHS, leaving patients stranded.

Tom is mailing a Desperate for Dentists campaign leaflet to constituents that contains further campaign information and a petition for residents to sign in support of Tom's campaign.

Tom will be raising constituents' concerns in Parliament at the earliest opportunity and meeting with local dentists to hear first hand why many will not take on NHS patients.