Getting Chichester smiling again

While the antics of Ed Davey may be bringing a smile to voters in Chichester, chosen as one his first constituencies to visit, behind the clowning lies a mission to get Liberal Democrat’s policies in the media.

One of those key policies is an attempt to really brighten up Briton’s smiles by restoring NHS dentistry. With NHS appointments in Chichester becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, many constituents have given up on a system they know is broken. Residents are being forced to spend hundreds if not thousands on private dental care with some even resorting to DIY dentistry.

“The Government has failed to address the shortage of NHS dental appointments and has refused to fund the system properly leading to a two-tier system, with those that can afford dental care and those that cannot,” according to Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Party Parliamentary candidate for Chichester.

Shockingly, tooth decay is consistently the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children and children from the most deprived areas are already three times more likely to have hospital extractions than their peers.

The Liberal Democrat manifesto plans to improve NHS dentistry include:

• Bringing dentists back to the NHS from the private sector by reforming the NHS dental services contract.
• Introducing an emergency scheme to guarantee access to free NHS dental check-ups for those already eligible: children, pregnant women, young mothers, those who are pregnant and those on low incomes.
• Providing supervised toothbrushing training for children in nurseries and schools.
• Scrapping VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.

“Behind Ed Davey’s good-humoured approach to this general election lie serious and practical policies to improve our country,” said Jess, adding that “Ed hopes to get us to smile by falling off paddleboards, but he knows that reforming dentistry provision in this country is what will really make our smiles last.”

“The state of our country, whether it be sewage in our waters or the failing state of our health system, is no laughing matter. But we can get Britain back on its feet by working together, by not tearing ourselves apart and by recognising the huge potential this country has if we look after the basics such as health and education,” observed Jess.