NHS Dentistry
15th July 2008
The average waiting time for orthodontic appointments in the Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust is now three and a half years thanks to the failure of Labour's new contract for dentists introduced in 2006.
The House of Commons recent Health Select Committee report revealed that there has been a reduction in the number of complex treatments being carried out by dentists and an increase in referrals to hospital. Current arrangements let down patients, with many teenagers waiting 2-3 years for an initial assessment. It has alienated the dentists and overloaded hospitals.
There is a need for a return to a registration system through a trusting dentist/patient relationship. Currently we have another failing target driven system, rather than a patient orientated service.
Peter Aldous
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Waveney, Wissett, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 0RA
