GOVERNMENT FAILING ON DENTAL CARE IN NORTH WEST LONDON - TEATHER

4.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 13th Jan 2005

Sarah Teather is concerned about the number of people registered with an NHS dentist in North West London

NHS dental care in North West London is in crisis as new figures show that over three in five adults and around half of children are not registered with an NHS dentist. North West London Strategic Health Authority features in the bottom five Strategic Health Authorities in England in terms of both adults and children registered with an NHS dentist.

Sarah Teather has written to the Strategic Health Authority demanding to know why it is performing so badly.

England's disappearing dental coverage has seen the number of adults registered with an NHS dentist fall from over 51% in 1997 to just 38.8% today. During the same period the number of Children registered with NHS dentists has fallen from nearly 66% to below 55%.

The percentage of people registered with NHS dentists differs greatly by Strategic Health Authority.

The 5 SHA's with the least ADULTS registered with an NHS dentist are:

1. South West Peninsula 22.8%

2. Cheshire and Merseyside 26.7%

3. Thames Valley 30.1%

4. Hampshire and Isle of Wight 32.4%

5. North West London 34.4%

The 5 SHA's with the least CHILDREN registered with an NHS dentist are:

1. Cheshire and Merseyside 33.3%

2. South West Peninsula 41.1%

3. North East London 45%

4. North West London 45.1%

5. Greater Manchester 48.2%

Commenting on the figures, Sarah Teather MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for London Sarah Teather MP said:

"These figures are extremely concerning. It is very worrying that so many children are missing out on NHS dental care. It is vital that the Government acts for the sake of our children's teeth, as the Government sits idly by our children's teeth will get worse and worse.

"I shall be raising this issue with the North West London Strategic Health Authority as a matter of priority. More must to be done to get people registered with an NHS dentist."