New MP raises High Peak being a NHS Dental Desert with Health Secretary

In his question from the green benches of the House of Commons, Jon Pearce MP said: “High Peak is a dental desert. We spoke to one practice where they said that they get as many calls for registrations as they do for appointments. Often these calls are deeply distressing. Elderly people are unable to eat because they need their dentures sorted.”

He went on to ask the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP: “What first steps is [the Secretary of State] able to take to cure 14 years of Conservative failure in NHS dentistry?”

Responding to the issues raised by High Peak’s MP, Wes Streeting MP said: “The member is absolutely right to point out that these challenges have been 14 years in the making and it will take time to fix the damage that the Conservatives have done to our National Health Service".

He went on to explain that the Labour Government “Will start with 700,000 urgent appointments as we promised. We will continue with contract reform, which is essential and I want to reassure my honourable friend that as we do so we will have the needs of all communities in our country at heart, particularly rural communities like High Peak, which have particular challenges. I look forward to involving him and keeping him up to date on the progress as we make it.'

The question comes after speaking to over 16,000 people on doorsteps across High Peak over the last two years of the campaign.

Jon said: “So many anguished residents have contacted me about not being able to find an NHS dentist or being forced to go private. I’ve heard stories of families having to wait years to find an NHS dentist or having to travel miles to find one in other parts of the country. This is not fair. High Peak deserves better.

"I will continue to campaign on this issue and raise it in parliament until we get our fair share of NHS dentists here in High Peak.”