Councillors at Eastleigh Borough Council are urging the Government to fix the NHS dental crisis.

According to research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats from the House of Commons library, 48.7 per cent of children in Hampshire had not been seen by an NHS dentist in the year to June 2023.

More than 62 per cent of adults in Hampshire have not been seen by an NHS dentist in the past two years.

Now councillors at Eastleigh have voted for a motion proposing the council call on the government to fix the problem.

Cllr Liz Jarvis, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh, who proposed the motion, said: “Eastleigh, similar to the rest of the country, is facing an acute NHS dental crisis.

“Access to NHS dentist appointments is increasingly limited for children and adults in Eastleigh and across Hampshire, which creates additional pressures in other parts of the health service.

“There are particular concerns about the lack of dental care for children, and the impact this can have on the rest of their lives.

“Tooth decay is the number one reason for hospital admissions for children aged six to 10. That’s staggering.

“Residents raise the issue of accessing local NHS dentist appointments with me all the time, and it’s incredibly concerning.

“This Conservative government has shown a total disregard for every aspect of our health service and the people of Eastleigh are bearing the brunt of it.

“It is incredibly concerning that people are suffering because they can't get appointments and can't afford private treatment.

Cllr Jarvis said that the Liberal Democrats want the Government to announce an emergency rescue plan for NHS dentistry.

She said: "This would include spending any funding that has gone unspent in recent years to boost the number of appointments as well as the removal of VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.”

She added: "The situation with the NHS dental crisis is now desperate. The Lib Dems will continue to put pressure on the Government to take action to fix this crisis."

On November 28, the Department of Health and Social Care published new measures to improve access to dental care.

The new measure detail that all NHS dentists should receive fairer payments for providing more complex dental care to those who need it most.

Dentists will be required to update NHS website regularly to make it clear which practices are taking on new patients and the services available, improving access to dentists for local people.

Health Minister, Neil O’Brien, said: "It will not solve all the problems overnight, but it will help improve access and ensure the system supports dentists and their teams."