Peterborough has become a “desert” for adults looking for an NHS dentist with only places such as Kettering – 23 miles from Peterborough – showing availability on the NHS website. “The city has one of the worst situations for NHS dentists in the country,” says Andrew Pakes, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Peterborough.
Even when it comes to accepting new NHS patients under the age of 17, only two dentists – both at Bretton – come up on the NHS website.
Mr Pakes said the crisis is such that only one in four adults in Peterborough have seen a dentist in the last 2 years – “one of the lowest rates in the country”.
He said: “We have fewer NHS dentists and worse provision in Peterborough than in 2018.
“The NHS dental crisis comes up across the city whenever we are out listening to residents. We have one of the worst situations for NHS dentists in the country with more people than ever forced to go to A&E for tooth decay because they cannot afford private treatment.
“We need urgent action to fix the NHS in the city, including better access to dentists”.
In April, the city’s Conservative MP Paul Bristow called for “more NHS dentists in Peterborough.
“I am not prepared to let our city be a dentist desert. There is good practice going on in other parts of the country – and this had led to more NHS appointments. We need this here”.
Mr Pakes says Labour has an active petition to campaign for more NHS dentist provision for Peterborough.
“Peterborough is becoming an NHS dental desert with families having to travel as far as Stevenage to get an appointment,” he said.
“It is time for change. Add your name today to demand more NHS dentists in Peterborough.”
The link is here:
https://www.peterboroughlabour.org.uk/dentists/
A Facebook group ‘Toothless in Huntingdon’ has also launched to improve NHS dentistry.
It says: “We implore the Cambridge and Peterborough ICB to address the ongoing issue of NHS dentistry with the utmost urgency and reinstate local NHS dentistry provision in Huntingdonshire.
“In the short term, we are also calling for temporary funding for a mobile dental unit to serve those in desperate need of dental treatment.”
They too have a petition which can be accessed here:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/toothless-in-huntingdon-an-nhs-dentist-for-everyone
