September 22nd, 2023.

Lewes Lib Dems release:



133,176 children in Sussex have not been seen by an NHS dentist for at least a year, shocking new figures published by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The research, commissioned from the House of Commons Library, estimates the number of children who were not seen by an NHS dentist in the year to June 2023, based on the latest data from the health service. During this period Lewes MP Maria Caulfield was the minister for dentistry.

It also revealed the proportion of children not seen by an NHS dentist in Sussex. For the previous year, a staggering 43% of children had not been seen by a dentist. This is despite the NHS recommending that under-18s see a dentist at least once a year because their teeth can decay faster, compared to two years for adults. Tooth decay is also the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 6-10.

In Sussex, 60% of adults have not been seen by an NHS dentist in the past two years. That equates to just under 800,000 people who went without dental care in the last 24 months.

It comes as the Liberal Democrats are set to adopt their pre manifesto at their autumn conference this weekend, including a commitment to reform NHS dentistry so that no one is forced to pay hundreds of pounds for private care. The party is also calling for an emergency rescue plan for NHS dentistry, including spending any funding that has gone unspent in recent years to boost the number of appointments as well as the removal of VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Lewes constituency, James MacCleary, said: “In the general chaos of this government some of their most shocking failures have been overlooked. Local people have been reporting for some time now that they are unable to find an NHS dentist and these new figures reveal the true extent of the issue.

"As a parent with two young children, I am just appalled to see how many children in our area are being failed. These cold numbers show the scale of the government's failure but also mask the fact that this means that there are children living in pain. That affects their ability to eat, learn and enjoy their lives.

“Lewes MP Maria Caulfield was the minister for dentistry for the period when these figures were taken. She recently distributed a leaflet locally telling residents what a great job she has done for us on healthcare. It seems like a sick joke when you see figures like these.

“This has to act as a wake-up call for the government. A rescue package for British dentistry is urgently needed. That means reforming NHS dentistry to boost the number of appointments along with removing VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste. We must also listen to the dentists themselves who need a proper deal from the government that actually covers the cost of procedures.”