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Rizwana Lala is an NHS dentist and a clinical lecturer in dental public health at the University of Sheffield.
NHS dentistry in England is facing a crisis, with 80% of appointments delayed since Covid-19 and a 40% increase in fees since 2010 – the only solution is a proper public system: well funded and free to access.
Staff shortages, too few beds, a lack of protective equipment and more than a million elderly lacking in basic social care – Tory mismanagement of Britain’s public health system has made the coronavirus crisis much harder to handle.
Recently released figures show the staggering extent of NHS privatisation – with £15 billion worth of contracts outsourced to private companies since 2015 alone.
With 1 in 5 people skipping dental care because of costs resulting in thousands of preventable surgeries every year, Labour’s plan to introduce free dental checks can’t come a minute too soon.
The Tories claim to be “the party of the NHS” – but their record in government shows a party determined to force through privatisation at every opportunity.