Dental health danger in Norwich North
09 July 2009
A disturbing new report for the Green Party, co-authored by Dr Rupert Read, the Greens' candidate in Norwich North, says 70% of dentists in the constituency won't take on new NHS patients. Cllr Read and Stuart Jeffery, Green Party national spokesman on health, say the numbers of people going to the dentist regularly is in decline and the Labour government is failing to provide sufficient investment.
The report highlights:
* that 70% of Norwich North dentists are not currently accepting new NHS patients
* how the fundamental principle that NHS care should be free at point of need is being broken
* figures showing decline in the number of people going to the dentist
* evidence that 8% of adults have resorted to DIY dentistry
* why the Green Party continues to oppose the use of fluoride in water supplies
* that it would cost £531m to fully fund the service at present levels
Rupert Read, who is the Green Party spokesman on public services, says: "The Green Party believes NHS dentistry still awaits a radical overhaul and real investment. Meanwhile, the charges which even NHS patients have to pay amount to a regressive tax which hits the poorest hardest. Our figures indicate that fewer people - including fewer children - are going to the dentist regularly; that can only be storing up trouble for their future. The people of Norwich North and indeed of much of Britain are being let down badly on dentistry - I'd like to start to change that."
FURTHER INFORMATION / INTERVIEWS
To access the full report go to: Dentistry Disaster in Norwich North
Rupert Read: 01603 219294 / 07946 459066
John Francis [Media Officer]: 07713 654784
About Norwich Green Party
- It has 13 Norwich City Councillors (Labour 15, Lib-Dems 6 Tories 5)
- It has 7 Norfolk County Councillors serving 7 of the 13 Norwich county wards.
- Norwich City Council Green Party group leader, Councillor Adrian Ramsay, is the Green Party's national Deputy Leader and GP's Parliamentary Candidate for the Norwich South constituency in the next General Election.
- In the 2009 local elections, the Green Party secured the greatest % of votes cast in the Norwich South area - and can win the Norwich South Parliamentary seat in the next General Election.
- In the 2009 European election, the Green Party secured more votes than any other party in the Norwich City Council area, gaining 25%.
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