WHAT’S THE STATE OF NHS DENTISTRY IN STAFFORD?
Shortly before Christmas a national report warned of a fall-off in the number of patients seeing NHS dentists. Stafford’s Labour MP David Kidney wrote to the local Primary Care Trust to find out if South Staffordshire’s experience has been the same as the national one. The answer he has received is that there has been a fall in patient numbers but less than elsewhere and the Trust has plans to reverse the fall. David Kidney says the picture in South Staffordshire is encouraging: “By 2006 the Primary Care Trust had opened five new NHS dental practices and helped others to expand. As a result 50% of all residents were visiting their dentists for treatment. This number rose in 2007 whereas nationally there was a fall. “In South Staffordshire there was then a fall in patient numbers in 2008 but patient visits were still 50%. I see this as a reasonable position but we need to kick on from here. I am pleased therefore that the Trust tells me that there are plans to do more to enable more res
