BDA
@TheBDA
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The British Dental Association is the voice of dentists and dental students in the UK. Chair @EddieCrouch / Chief Exec @martinwoodrow69
Wimpole Street, London
Joined May 2009
Over the past year, we have been expanding our membership offering and fighting for political change. Discover how we are making an impact – for dentistry and for you.
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Thank you @PaddyMcGuinness. You really didn’t get it wrong. You captured the absurdity of a system that’s fuelling a crisis hurting millions. The PM promised to ‘restore’ NHS dentistry. We’re still waiting…. SIGN & SHARE this petition to Rishi Sunak.
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The PM offered fiction not fact to @CatSmithMP on the crisis in dentistry. The reality is there are no new dentists, no new contract, and no new money. Our patients need to see honesty, ambition & investment👉
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We are appalled some politicians are blaming immigrants for the current crisis in NHS dentistry. It’s as offensive as it is inaccurate. A thread 🧵
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Dentists have seen through the spin. Empty soundbites won’t stop queues outside practices. Dodgy statistics won’t call time on ‘DIY’ dentistry. Don’t let the Government send the nation’s oral health back in time. Sign here to save NHS dentistry:
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The first step to save NHS dentistry is admitting we have a problem. @WesStreeting has done so today. There’s recognition that failed contracts & underfunding have fuelled the current crisis. There’s now a chance to move forward to rescue & reform a service millions depend on.
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No. We are saying that 14 years of systemic underfunding and 18 years of failure to fix a broken contract is what’s fuelling the crisis in NHS dentistry. Everything else is noise….
So 670,000 net migration last year had no impact on infrastructure? All of these people don’t need dental care? And magically don’t need any services or housing?. Is that what you’re saying? 🎤.
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👉 We dispute the claim made during yesterday's Downing Street briefing by the Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick who stated that all dental practices have received fresh supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).
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Fixed that for you…. If Britain really is the second most powerful country on Earth then why are its citizens resorting to ‘DIY’ dentistry for want of access to basic healthcare?. Sign here if you think this country deserves better👉
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Thanks @carolvorders . In 1948, dentistry was a core part of the new NHS, available to all and free at the point of use. Charges came in 1951, explicitly designed to reduce demand for care. In 2024 the very future of this service hangs in the balance.
SIGN THE PETITION EMBEDDED in the @TheBDA tweet below about the absurdity of the current NHS Tory system. Please let's have the election very soon . .
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Pleased to see @Keir_Starmer saying that if elected he’ll get stuck into fixing NHS dentistry on day one. This crisis is hitting millions. And we are ready to work with any Government willing to show urgency and ambition. 👉
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⬆️Today NHS dental charges in England rise by 4%. 💷Not a penny will go towards improving your care or easing the access crisis. ✂️Patients will pay more, just so Ministers can pay less. It’s an utter disgrace. Sign this message to @RishiSunak . 👉
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This profession thanks @LibDems leader @EdwardJDavey & @UKLabour's @marykfoy for both pressing the PM to correct the record after repeated misleading claims. 🦷These numbers matter. 📉This crisis is deepening. 🛟 NHS dentistry needs a rescue plan👇.
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Today we are in Westminster. Dentists and patients. All failed by a broken system. Tomorrow the Government will be held to account on NHS dentistry. Their broken promises are hurting millions.
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🦷 Immigrants did not slash the dental budget by £1bn in real terms since 2010. 🦷 Immigrants did not refuse to fix a broken contract fuelling the exodus from the NHS. 🦷In fact, around 30% of dentists registered to practice in the UK qualified overseas.t.
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Dentistry isn’t a ‘nice to have.’. It’s not an ‘optional extra’. But failure at Westminster has left a core part of our health service on the verge of collapse. And our patients are paying the price. 🎞️Watch, then ✍️ sign
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The NHS should be a place the next generation of dentists would choose to build a career. Not somewhere you serve time before moving on. This approach is an abdication of responsibility. Ministers need to fix a broken system. 👇.
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"This is a scandal" says @LibDems leader @EdwardJDavey. NHS dentistry is in crisis, yet the PM keeps trying to defend the indefensible. ❌Tweaks to a failed contract do not equal reform. ❌Spending has barely increased in a decade. ❌ We have less dentists today than in 2017
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“NHS dentists are not capable of doing extractions anymore.”. Richard Madeley’s take on the crisis in NHS dentistry isn’t based on ‘categorical fact’ but pure fiction. 👇
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"Where's the plan?". We took that question to the @Conservatives Annual Conference last year. Today we finally got the Government's answer. And it's simply not enough to save this service. Sign our petition to the PM. 👇.
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The term ‘dental desert' has been used to describe areas struggling to access care. The reality is whole of Britain is now a dental desert. Real reform won’t wait. We need to save NHS dentistry. 👉
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"One colleague said you cannot rebuild a collapsed wall with a box of Polyfilla," says @ShawnC_GDPC . "And that's precisely what is sadly being attempted here.". NHS dentistry needed a rescue plan. What we got made for a nice press release & little more .
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"The dental contract is the root cause of the exodus of dentists from the NHS" says @TheGreenParty co-leader @AdrianRamsay MP, calling on the Govt to commit to a timetable for reform ASAP. The crisis in dentistry affects millions and solving it requires urgency and ambition.
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"They've been asleep at the wheel for 12 years," says Shadow Health Sec @wesstreeting MP. ❌DIY dentistry that belongs in the Victorian era. ❌ 2-year waiting lists. ❌An exodus of dentists from the NHS. For the sake of millions, Ministers must do more than tweak a broken system
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An important milestone in the fight to bring this service back from the brink. We've worked alongside @DailyMirror & @38degrees to push this crisis to the top of the political agenda. Every party now needs a credible plan.
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Pleased to see @wesstreeting repeat his pledge to meet with us the first Monday after the election - should Labour win - to begin negotiations on the NHS contract. We need all parties to grasp the urgency here. Without real and rapid reform this service won’t have a future.
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"Is the budget lower than it was?". Pure evasion from @VictoriaAtkins on @BBCBreakfast. This 'new' money is a drop the ocean for a service cut to the bone. £1bn in real-terms cuts since 2010. Creative accounting might make for a nice headline. Not decent health policy.
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Our thanks @simonlightwood MP. The PM's response does not correspond to the reality facing millions of patients. There's no new funding, no new dentists & no new contract. He needs to correct the record 👉
Today, I pressed the Prime Minister to tackle the national dental emergency. It is shocking that less than half of Wakefield's children saw a dentist last year. This is simply not good enough; the Government is letting our children down and must act.
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⚠️From today NHS bridges, crowns and dentures will cost £306.80 in England, and just £203 in Wales. @SteveBarclay needs to explain why patients in England must now pay over £100 more for exactly the same NHS care. Our open letter to the Secretary of State for Health.👇
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“This isn’t a postcode lottery any more,” says @EddieCrouch . “It’s the whole phone book.”. We’re seeing horrors that have no place in a wealthy nation. Government’s unfunded, unambitious plan won’t pull dentistry back from the dark ages. Sign here:
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“Dentistry is a service that’s not valued by this Govt” says our Vijay Sudra to @carolvorders. People pulling out their own teeth with pliers. Millions unable to access basic care. Access problems aren’t inevitable. They are the direct result of choices made in Westminster.
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"Dentists are exhausted, demoralised & many are looking for the exit" says Shadow Health Sec @Sandeshgulhane MSP. Our thanks for speaking out. The very future of NHS dentistry in Scotland is in doubt. Sadly the Scottish Government is asleep at the wheel👉
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In the 1600s ‘teeth’ were a leading cause of death in this country. It’s 2024 and we’re seeing deaths from dental infections. Decades of progress risks going into reverse. Official indifference is taking the nation’s oral health back in time.
Dental sepsis. Oral cancers. Official indifference to NHS dentistry now has a body count. What more will it take for this Government to wake up?. @VictoriaAtkins @andrealeadsom @wesstreeting .
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CLAIM: We're making access to NHS dentistry "faster, simpler and fairer.". REALITY: There’s no army of dental care professionals queuing up to work in a broken system this Govt won’t fix. NHS dentistry needs real reform. Not yet another press release on the latest tiny tweak.
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“There’s going to be extra money available for every dentist” says @AndreaLeadsom on @BBCNewsround… . Her boss @VictoriaAtkins was just forced to retract claims that her Recovery Plan had any new funding behind it. To end this crisis we need honesty and ambition from Govt👇
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Thanks @MartinSLewis. Warm words from Govt just do not correspond to the reality facing millions. ❌Many travel 100s of miles for care. ❌Others take matters into their own hands. ❌Dentists aren’t coming back to a broken system. We need real change:
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A reminder to @andrealeadsom - who claims it “isn’t the case dentists are disappearing from the NHS” - that dentist headcount has collapsed to 2017 levels, and NHS work is steadily falling. We can’t have NHS dentistry without NHS dentists. This crisis was made in Westminster.
New official data shows 60% of dentists in England are thinking of leaving the NHS. 6 in 10 dentists say their morale is low or very low. Government has offered nothing to turn the tide. We need real reform👉
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Thanks @wesstreeting. Today marked a real change in tone in our dialogue with Government. Based on a shared understanding of what’s fuelling the crisis in NHS dentistry. None of the problems millions face are inevitable. We can make this service fit for the future.
Patients find it impossible to see a dentist, with huge parts of the country dental deserts. Today I met with the @TheBDA to begin the work of rebuilding the service, including contract reform. We'll start by delivering the 700,000 extra emergency appointments we promised.
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"These dentists are not worth a penny less than they were 15 years ago," says @EddieCrouch . “Our members will down drills until the government comes back to the table with a serious offer.”. Hospital dentists will join @BMA_JuniorDocs in strike action. 👇.
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Thanks @darrenpjones . This is a national crisis, hitting millions of patients. A decade of failed contracts and underfunding have brought this service to the brink. When we need real reform and fair funding the govt seems asleep at the wheel.
I continue to make the case against the privatisation of dentistry in England. Dental practices in Bristol are now removing their existing NHS patients, as well as not taking on any new ones. The Government suggests it’s a local issue. I wonder what @TheBDA thinks about that?
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The Govt has just changed the definition of ‘access’. NHS practices are now showing that they can take new patients ‘when availability allows’. Ministers can’t meaningfully measure impact when they’re comparing apples with oranges. 🍎🍊. @wesstreeting @PreetKGillMP @libdemdaisy
Our Dentistry Plan is now delivering with nearly 500 more practices across England accepting new adult patients compared to the end of January. Ignore the naysayers - we are getting on with delivering for you. 🦷🇬🇧.
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On #WorldHealthDay a reminder that ‘Teeth’ were once a leading cause of death in this country. It's 2024 & we’re seeing deaths from dental infections. Decades of progress are going into reverse. Don't let Govt take the nation’s oral health back in time
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We are seeing queues and people reaching for pliers because of choices made in Westminster. This Government has wasted almost a year on a ‘Recovery Plan’ that doesn’t pass the Ronseal Test.
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🦷NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist for millions across this country. Over 1 in 4 adults in England are unable to access a core part of our NHS. These numbers are stark reminder we need urgency and ambition to save this service. 👉
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@TalktoBeverley Happy to assist!. This policy is hurting the patients who need us most. These charge hikes are covering for savage cuts #taxonteeth.
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Congratulations to @JasonWong12, awarded an MBE for services to Dentistry and to Oral Health in the New Year Honours.
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“The current contract doesn’t allow dentists to provide modern or preventive dentistry,” says @EddieCrouch . The new Govt has recognised dentists are working to a failed contract. After talks with @wesstreeting we have a chance to begin the work of rebuilding NHS dentistry.
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Good luck to every dentist returning to practice today in England. You have worked so hard to reopen, and without the support you’ve needed from government. This cannot continue. Our message to Health Secretary @MattHancock
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In Aug 2022 Rishi Sunak pledged to 'restore' NHS dentistry. We're still waiting. And when it comes to timely access to care, we now lag behind both developing countries & war zones. A🧵on how Govt has offered big ambitions but no meaningful action on a crisis facing millions.
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A reminder that for new patients NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist. This crisis requires urgency and ambition. 🖊️Sign the petition:
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MYTH: Thanks to the Government Recovery Plan over "500 dental practices have started accepting more NHS patients.". REALITY: Ministers have simply changed the definition of 'access'. We called 100 of these practices. Just 10 are actually taking on new NHS patients.
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Thanks to @YvetteCooperMP for holding ministers to account on NHS dentistry. 😷Dentists are overwhelmed. 👨👨👧👧Families across the nation are unable to secure the care they need. 🦷We need more than warm words from Govt to rebuild a service that was in crisis long before COVID.
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It’s inexcusable that @NHSEngland are pulling the plug on funding mental health services for hospital doctors & dentists. @NHSPracHealth have helped a generation with the scars of working through COVID. Broken colleagues will pay the price as Govt chase quick savings. @TheBMA.
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This is not the time for banging drums. We need politicians to support real reform and fair funding. Everyone else can sign this petition and show your support.
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The NHS Dentistry Recovery Plan:. 1⃣The Government promises dental vans to ease the access crisis. 2⃣Realise there aren't the vans or the workforce to man them. 3⃣So are testing the market for "non-van solutions.". A reminder this is not April 1st. 👇.
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“Are we facing an end to NHS dentistry?”. That will all hinge on the choices made in Westminster. What’s clear is this crisis will be an issue on the doorstep at election time. It’s time for real ambition. Tell the PM to keep his promise. 👉
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Over 1,000 dentists were invited to give their verdict on the Government's so-called 'Recovery Plan.' . We asked for their views, in their own words. We offered no prompts. What we got was cold fury from colleagues who have given up hope of change. 👉
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Another reminder to @andrealeadsom. This is disgusting. And it’s not inevitable. We are seeing scenes that have no place in a wealthy 21st century nation. Because of choices made in Westminster.
@PeterStefanovi2 Myself and the kids have not seen a dentist since 2019. The dentist we did have ended their NHS contract without saying a word. Since I found out after contacting them we have been unable to find another. It’s disgusting in the 6th richest country in the world that children are.
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⚠️NHS dental charges are set to rise by 8.5%. This hike won’t put a penny into a struggling service. This cold, calculated political choice will hit millions on modest incomes. Our patients shouldn’t have to pay more just so ministers can lay less. 👉
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Glad to see @LaylaMoran & MPs from across the House stress the urgency of the promised reform of NHS dentistry in Parliament today. We stand ready to work with the new Government - and begin negotiations on a new NHS contract in earnest. Let’s turn a page on a broken system.
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An utterly grotesque display of priorities from @hmtreasury. Millions are unable to access care. Cutting off access to free NHS dentistry will be used as a stick to beat the long-term sick back into work. While not a penny is going to be put into this struggling service. 1/
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❎Dentists have the training. ❌What’s really missing is the political will at Westminster to save this service. ❎ NHS dentistry requires fair funding and real reform. ❌It can do without the musings of armchair pundits. 👉
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🤦🏽♀️: 1000s of dentists faces after today’s evidence. The ‘millions’ of new appointments Govt led their PR on was based on modelling which has a “high likelihood” of not being reliable. This is a real crisis. It demands a serious response. Sign here:
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NHS England has now confirmed that all dental team members and support staff – in both NHS and private settings – will receive priority access to the COVID vaccine. Here's what you need to know👉
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"This really isn't rocket science" says @ShawnC_GDPC . "Improve terms & conditions, & increase commitment to NHS dentistry through sustainable funding & you will have NHS dentists again.". Our thanks to Steve @BrineMP and @CommonsHealth . A crisis facing millions can be solved.
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NHS dentistry is now a top issue on the doorstep because millions have no options. Coming ahead of schools, the high street, even crime. Politicians might lose their seats if they fail to act. But voters risk losing this service for good. 👉
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At #PMQs @RishiSunak often talks about 500 ‘new’ NHS dentists – the result of govt reforms. The fact is workforce numbers have fallen to the lowest level in a decade. The result of failure to fix a broken system. 🛟NHS dentistry needs a rescue plan. 🧵.
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🦷We fixed that one for you @RishiSunak.
The NHS is in my blood. My dad was a GP and I grew up working in mum's local pharmacy. So I understand just how important it is to have an NHS built around patients. Today I’m taking a leaf out of my parents' book and empowering patients to get the care they need more quickly.
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The Government claims it wants NHS dentistry to be accessible to all. But we’re not seeing any evidence of the reforms or the resources to realise that ambition. Patients and this profession deserve some honesty here. Just tap below👇
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We’re sitting on the nation’s largest collection of dental Victoriana. Little did we suspect how well these images would illustrate where this country would be in 2024. This Government is sending the nation’s oral health back in time. Sign here:
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Green Party co-leader @AdrianRamsay MP is spot on. Tackling the root cause of the crisis in NHS dentistry means fixing a broken contract. A clear timetable for reform can give some certainty to thousands of dedicated NHS dentists who have given up hope of change.
"People are giving up on dentistry treatment because of a lack of NHS provision. We need to get to the root of the problem". We need to tackle dental deserts urgently. This week in Parliament I made the case for a workable contract for dentists to attract and keep them in the
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⏱️The nation's oral health is going back in time. The next Government has to make this service fit for the future:. 🦷Value the workforce.🦷Double down on prevention.🦷End the access crisis. 🦷The 1st step is fixing a broken contract. Find out more👉
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How can we make a dental appointment a more positive visit for patients with a learning disability? . Our @w8charlotte explains how dental teams can get involved in #LDWeek2021 with new #Makaton resources . Find out more👉 @NHS_HealthEdEng @MakatonCharity
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"A petition is being handed in at Downing Street, signed by more than a quarter of a million people." . Our thanks to @HelenMorganMP . The Health Secretary acknowledges NHS dentistry is at "death's door." . But we need a timetable for reform if we're going to save it.
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Tooth extractions are the no.1 reason for hospital admissions among young children. Lack of access to high st dentists and failure on prevention cause needless pain, and waste millions of taxpayers’ money. NHS dentistry is broken. It’s time to fix it.
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"Dental care IS healthcare.". Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis hits the nail on the head. If people can't access the dental care they need, when they need it, we have a national health service in name only. Our patients deserve better:
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NHS dentistry in 2024…. The PM pledged to ‘restore’ this service. Millions need him to keep that promise. Sign here👉
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Thanks to @zarahsultana MP for your leadership here. ⚠️Kids in the UK are born into a toxic food environment. 🦷Tooth decay is the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children. 🍽️#FreeSchoolMealsForAll would be prevention in action.👇.
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Great to meet @TheGreenParty co-leader @AdrianRamsay MP this morning. The crisis in NHS dentistry runs deep. The Greens showed leadership on NHS dentistry during the recent election. We’re ready to work with all parties to secure a better deal for our patients.
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Tony Page knows that the crisis in NHS dentistry will cost lives. His dentist picked up the tell-tale signs of oral cancer a routine check-up in 2014. Today access to care near his Kent home has vanished. Tony's signed our petition. Join him👉
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"Failure to act would amount to the effective abolition of NHS dentistry: death by can-kicking.". "And the PM and his Ministers would need to own the consequences.". Tom Thayer on why Government needs to make good on its promises👇.
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We’re calling for consultants and hospital dental trainees at specific trusts to take industrial action on the following days in September and October. The Government needs to get round the negotiating table and resolve this dispute. We’re standing with colleagues in @TheBMA to
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Since lockdown dentists have been given less government support than the gambling industry. Ministers need to change tack if this service is going to have a future
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It never should have taken this farce for @NHSEngland to finally make the right decision. @NHSPracHealth has saved lives. And now can continue to do so. Thousands of dentists and doctors have registered their disgust. Our thanks to @doctor_oxford and @silv24.
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This week the Government passed its Rwanda Plan into law. We reject the pseudoscientific dental age checks that could see vulnerable children handed a one-way ticket to Kigali. But much like war-torn Ukraine, Rwanda does have better access to dentistry….
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.@PeterStefanovi2 takes a different approach to Govt. No spin required. Just moments ago @DHSCgovuk issued a PR saying their modelling was 'robust'. Welcome to Schrodinger's Recovery Plan. Both ‘Unreliable’ and ‘robust’ at the very same time.
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We've been encouraged by the messages from the new Govt. Ministers have said fixing dentistry is a "moral crusade" . That the scenes we're seeing are "Dickensian.". It's time to make NHS dentistry fit for the future. Sign our petition to the PM . 👉
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A gentle reminder… . 🪥Supervised tooth brushing is a tried-and-tested policy that the Government’s own modelling shows pays for itself. 🦷Tooth decay is the no.1 reason for hospital admissions among young children. 👦We can save children pain and the NHS millions.
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The public and this profession have a simple message for the PM. The clock is ticking on NHS dentistry and this Government must make good on its promises. If reform is kicked into the long grass there won’t be a service left to save.
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⚠️NHS dental charges in England rise today by a record 8.5%. It won’t put a penny into NHS dentistry. It will just force millions to think twice about needed care. Widening health inequality is a price this govt seems willing to pay to cover for cuts👉
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The ambitions stated by Minister @andrealeadsom on tonight’s @BBCCountryfile are undeliverable via her NHS Dentistry Recovery Plan. ❌There’s not a penny of new money in this plan - it’s recycling existing spend. ❌ Nothing boosts capacity to deliver millions of new appointments
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A reminder for @sajidjavid from the dental profession👇
The current NHS model is unsustainable without reform. We urgently need a new cross- party consensus on the future of the NHS. And, like most European countries, that should include a contributory principle.
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NHS dental charges were designed to discourage patients from seeking care. And in recent years inflation-busting charge hikes have offered cover for cuts. @EddieCrouch offers a reality check on bright ideas to extend patient charges to GPs.
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