Millions could be given legal right to see an NHS dentist
Millions of people denied free dental care could be given the legal right to treatment on the NHS, under new proposals.
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
11 Nov 2009
The Telegraph
In the past two years around three million people have been unable to make an appointment with an NHS dentist. Millions more have given up trying or have been forced to go private for treatment.
The proposals form part of plans for an expansion of patients' rights unveiled by Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, and Gordon Brown.
One third of five years olds have tooth decay For the first time anyone forced to wait more than 18 weeks on the NHS will be legally entitled to free private treatment from next year, as will cancer patients waiting more than a fortnight to see a specialist.
[The question i have is why did they have to wait 2 weeks, or more for their national health plan?? Why do they need to wait, why can't they see a doctor if they have cancer? WHY? And WHY are so many Americans so foolish in wanting THIS system implemented here and it will be and those death panels ridiculed and mocked will be here .... what is an MOT!! ]
All patients between the ages of 40 and 74 will also be given the right to a 'health MOT' every five years from 2012.
As part of the raft of new entitlements the Government is also considering giving patients a legal right to die at home, to cancer tests within seven days, to personal health budgets, which allow them some say over their treatment, and to evening and weekend GP appointments.
Ministers have admitted that more needs to be done to increase access to health service dentists.
A survey by Which? Magazine earlier this year found that while three million people had been unable to see an NHS dentist another 4.5 million had abandoned even trying.
Some patients have even been forced to pull out their own teeth with pliers because of the difficulty getting an appointment, a recent study also found.
At the same time official figures show that many dentists’ wages are on the rise, with nearly 400 NHS dentists earning more than £300,000 last year.
The NHS has a target to ensure all patients can see an NHS dentist if they wish by 2011. However, ministers will consult on whether access for all patients should also be made a legal right.
How such an entitlement would work, including issues such as catchment areas and waiting times, would be worked out in further consultations with patients, the Department of Health said.
Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said the proposal would come as “little comfort” to millions of people already forced to go private.
He said: “Telling people they have a ‘right’ to an NHS dentist is hardly worth the paper it’s written on unless the government are planning to massively increase the funding available.
“We’ve heard so many unfunded spending commitments from Ministers in recent months that it increasingly looks like their living in a fantasy land where Gordon Brown hasn’t made a mess of the public finances.”
However, plans to consider giving patients a legal right to die at home were welcomed by charities.
Duleep Allirajah, from Macmillan Cancer Support, said that a lack of round the clock nursing care currently meant too many patients died in hospital.
“We would welcome any move that supports patients to die where they choose,” she said.
Making the announcement on rights, ministers insisted that the legal entitlement to private care would protect patients in the recession.
Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, said: ‘These proposals are part of a decisive shift, building on the NHS constitution, guaranteeing standards for patients and putting power in their hands.
“What we are ruling out today is that the NHS can ever again deal with financial pressures by letting waiting lists build up.”
Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, said: "This announcement will not benefit patients in any meaningful way.
"People already have the right to see an NHS dentist, the problem is that Labour's flawed dental policies have left millions unable to find one.
"What the Government needs to focus on is reforming the system so we have more dentists working for the NHS and so that they are able to see more people. A Conservative Government would introduce a new system which would allow a million more people to see an NHS dentist again.
"The Conservatives are increasingly leading the debate on how to reform the NHS because all voters get from Labour is gesture politics."
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