Ipswich MP Jack Abbott welcomes news for 15,000 emergency dental appointments in Suffolk and North Essex

Plans for more than 15,000 dental appointments in the area have been welcomed by an MP.

The Government has today announced that hundreds of thousands of people will be able to access emergency dental care to help alleviate the ongoing crisis in the sector.

More than 700,000 emergency appointments will be rolled out nationwide, including 15,413 at Suffolk and North Essex Integrated Care Board.

Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich, welcomed the news, describing it as ‘vital’ and ‘desperately needed’.

He said everyone living in the county knew full well the scale of the crisis facing dentistry.

Mr Abbott said: “In recent years it has become near impossible to get an NHS dental appointment and it is scandalous that the number one reason that five to nine-year-olds are admitted to hospital is because of tooth decay.

“Of course, NHS dentistry cannot be rebuilt overnight, but I am delighted that the Government is taking such a vital step, not only repairing this crucial public service, but making it fit for the future by delivering nearly 15,500 desperately needed dental appointments for our area.

“Combined with the important work being undertaken at the University of Suffolk Dental CIC, I hope we will soon be able to put an end to our county’s dental desert.”

According to NHS data for January to March 2024, 25 per cent of patients in the East of England who tried to see a dentist were unable to do so.

During that same time period, 68 per cent of respondents in the region reported having a positive experience of NHS dental services.

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said the Government was delivering on a commitment to get people urgent dental care.

He said: “NHS dentistry has been left broken after years of neglect with patients left in pain without appointments or queueing around the block just to be seen.

“Through our Plan for Change, this government will rebuild dentistry – focusing on prevention, retention of NHS dentists and reforming the NHS contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists and increase capacity for more patients.

“This will take time but today marks an important step towards getting NHS dentistry back on its feet.”