Sammy Wilson MP MLA

“Wilson voices concerns over NHS dentistry”

Sammy Wilson MP MLA has today called on the Health Minister to do more to combat the growing problem of dentists leaving the NHS. Through the means of an Assembly question to the Health Minister by Mr Wilson, it was revealed that over the course of the last 3 years, 166 dentists have stopped providing NHS services and there are 50 000 fewer dental patients registered with the NHS now than there was in 2006. The East Antrim MP said: “These are worrying statistics and it confirms the view that more dentists are moving towards private practice and so reducing the number of patients that can be registered with NHS dentists. This is particularly worrying for pensioners, many of whom in my constituency have been asked to transfer to private plans which can in some cases cost up to 50% of their private pension. It is time for the Health Minister to do something about this worrying situation by either requiring all dentists to take a percentage of NHS patients or by making it economically feasible for dentists to keep on such patients. What he cannot allow to happen is a continuous loss of NHS dentists to private practices at the expense of the poorest in our society.”

ENDS

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