Southend calls to be included in new 'dental van' service

Anna Firth, MP for Southend West, and retired Southend dentist Lesley Salter, are calling on the government to ensure the city benefits from the “NHS Dental Recovery Plan”.

Under the plan, a dental van service will be launched to create “an extra 2.5million appointments” over the next year and ensure residents in need can access a dentist.

Under the scheme, patients will be able to have dental examinations and straightforward treatments in the mobile dentist.

Ms Firth claims only three dental practices are accepting NHS patients in Southend and means many people are waiting in pain and unable to access the treatment they need.

She said: “I welcome the Health Secretary’s focus on including coastal communities in the Government’s NHS Dental Recovery Plan.

“Southend, a coastal city of more than 180,000 people, is currently served by just three NHS dental practices and people are having to wait far too long to see a dentist.

“I am asking the Government to confirm that my constituents will get improved dental provision within months, not years.

“This is vital for the health and wellbeing of my constituents who should be able to access an NHS dentist without long delays.”

Figures from the NHS show 63,701 adults were seen by an NHS dentist in Southend in the two years leading to June 30, 2023 – which is only 45 per cent of the area’s adult population.

This is down from 60 per cent in 2017 to 2019.

Ms Salter, who worked as a dentist in Southend before retiring echoed the calls for Southend to benefit from the scheme.

She said: “I welcome Anna Firth questioning the Health Secretary on dental provision.

“The situation has been deteriorating for a number of years and needs urgent government intervention.

“Mobile dental units or vans are a very good idea, but the whole system needs reform and I am very glad that Anna Firth is pushing for what is best for Southend.”