Keir Starmer tells Greatest Hits modernising the NHS will help tackle Suffolk's dental desert
NHS figures show fewer than 38% of adults in Suffolk were able to see a dentist last year
Sir Keir Starmer's told Greatest Hits Radio modernising the NHS will help tackle Norfolk's dental desert.
NHS figures show fewer than 38% of adults in Suffolk were able to see a dentist last year - the number's fallen by more than 20% since 2015 - with some currently forced to travel outside of the county to find a dentist taking new patients.
"The route of prevention"
"What we are setting out is an ambitious plan for the NHS, for the future. That'll tackle the obvious and immediate issues but also the other issues. The big killers like heart disease, cancer, it'll tackle those and the underlying issue which is inequality.
"The way we will do that is by making sure that we move health from hospital-based into our community. That we go down the route of prevention, which is much better for people's lives and the economy.
"We are a world leader in technology, so let's use this for the health service. We have had 75 years of the NHS, we want to make sure it's fit for the future."
What else did Sir Keir have to say?
What has the Government had to say on dentistry?
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
“We’ve given the NHS £50m to fund up to 350,000 extra dental appointments and we are growing the workforce so people can get the oral care they need – in December 2021, there were 264 more private and NHS dentists registered than the previous year.
“We are committed to levelling up health outcomes across the country – we have set up the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to address the long-standing health disparities and will publish a white paper this year to ensure everyone has the chance to live longer and healthier lives, regardless of background.”