Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, has launched a parliamentary petition for the residents of North Devon to sign. The petition calls on the House of Commons to ask the Government to assist with emergency dental provision in North Devon.
Since Selaine Saxby MP was elected in 2019 143 people have written in about the lack of NHS dentistry in North Devon. What was a problem before covid-19 has only worsened since the pandemic as such this petition calls on concrete steps to be taken now to bring more dental provision to North Devon.
Selaine will present the petition in Parliament this autumn, after which the Government will have to formally respond. The petition can either be signed in person or online, the online petition can be found at https://www.change.org/DentistsinNorthDevon. If you would like your signature to be part of the physical presentation in parliament then please contact Selaine Saxby’s office at [email protected] for a physical copy.
Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, said:
“Ever since I was elected dentistry has been one of the most frequent topics in my inbox, on the doorstep and across my social media channels. I am working to tackle the problem from multiple angles, in Westminster I have frequently met with Government ministers, whilst back in North Devon I have worked with the County Council and the Integrated Care Board. However, change is not coming fast enough for the people of North Devon that urgently need dental care.
“Whilst I welcome the long term plans the Government is bringing in for more dentists in areas like North Devon, concrete steps need to be taken now so that people’s health is not negatively affected. I urge everyone in North Devon to sign this petition which I will take back to Westminster as a demonstration of just how much immediate action is needed.”
In 2022 the Government reformed the contract for dental contracts, bringing in more flexibility to allow dental practices to maximise the number of NHS patients they can see. Since April 2023 Integrated Care Boards now have delegated responsibility from NHS England for commissioning dental contracts. The Government is also considering a recent consultation with the General Dental Council on to speed up the recruitment of overseas dentists. These changes will improve access to dental care long term, this petition calls for concrete steps to improve access to dental care in North Devon now.
