It comes as data reveals that 8,500 dentists left the profession in the last four years, with a further 4,079 currently approaching retirement age. In a double whammy, 329 NHS contracts have recently been handed back as practices struggle to balance the books with NHS patients.
In West Sussex, 47 dentists left the profession in 2024 and a further 87 were over the retirement age of 55 in 2023/24, equal to 17% of all dentists in the area.
The knock-on effects of this are being felt around the country. Over 16,000 people went to A&E with tooth decay in 2024, and it is the leading cause of hospitalisation in 5-9 year olds.
Dentist practices are also set to be hit by the Labour government’s rise in employer’s national insurance, with the Government admitting no impact assessment was carried out before the changes were forced through.
Alison said, “It’s appalling that our NHS services are being left to crumble, and the consequences cannot be overstated. Parents in Mid Sussex who can’t access an NHS dentist for their children, are either forced to pay through the nose, or see their children suffer.
“The previous Conservative government’s neglect was utterly shameful, proving that they cannot be trusted with our NHS, but the current Labour government has moved at a snail's pace to turn the situation around.
“The Government needs to commit to properly funding NHS dentistry services – starting by backing the Liberal Democrats’ rescue package."
Alison and the Liberal Democrats have proposed a £750m rescue package to save NHS dentistry. This would aim to bring dentists back from the private sector by fixing dental contracts and using flexible commissioning to meet patients’ needs, as well as introducing an emergency scheme to guarantee access to free NHS dental check-ups for those already eligible.