GOVERNMENT IN DENIAL OVER DENTAL SYSTEM CRISIS - LAMB

10.30.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 15th Oct 2007

Commenting on today's Dentistry Watch survey undertaken by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP said: "The Government is in denial about the crisis in the system. Ministers must admit the failings of the contract and admit the case for a thorough and urgent review of the system."

"If ministers continue with this complacent attitude, there is a serious danger that NHS dentistry will become a thing of the past."

"Eight years after Labour promised that everyone would have access to an NHS dentist, this survey shows the system is at breaking point. Reforms have failed to improve access to NHS dentists or raise the quality of dental care provided."

"The failure to improve access to NHS dentistry is yet another broken promise by this Government, which has lost all credibility on health issues."

"Liberal Democrat proposals would guarantee a minimum standard of service for every patient, while giving dentists incentives to see those people in most need such as children and new patients."

Liberal Democrat proposals to reform NHS dentistry, passed at their Autumn Conference last month included:

· Check-ups at NHS dentists to be free to allow dentists to properly promote preventive oral health

· Providing incentives to dentists to treat those patients in greatest need, such as children and new patients

· Creating a minimum standard of service guaranteed for patients

· Developing Personal Dental Plans for patients, setting out how frequently people should have a check-up, and how better to look after their teeth