Figures suggest only one in three registered with NHS
Research by local Councillor Gary Malcolm has revealed that the number of people registered with NHS dentists has plummeted across the capital since 1997.
The figures show that just over one in three adults and under half of all children across the capital are registered with an NHS dentist.
Ealing Primary Care Trust (PCTs) has recorded a 22.6% drop in adults signing
up, leaving less than one in three (30.6%) adults registering with an
NHS dentist.
Both
Ealing and neighbouring Hounslow are among the 5 London PCTs with the
lowest percentage of children registered with a NHS dentist. Ealing also
recorded the second sharpest fall in the number of children registering
since 1997, a figure double that of most London Boroughs.
Gary Malcolm, Lib Dem spokesperson, said: “With so few dentists accepting NHS patients it is little wonder that the levels of people registering with the NHS are so low. As NHS dental cover declines so too does the dental health of those in Chiswick.”
He added: “The Government must get to grips with the crisis in dental care. Every patient deserves to be able to register with a local NHS dentist, not to have to travel miles and miles in search of service.”
Registrations with a general dental service dentist at 30 September in the years 1997 to 2004 by Primary Care Trust
|
1997 |
2004 |
%age Change in people registered 1997 - 2004 |
Primary Care Trust |
Adults |
Children |
Adults |
Children |
Adults |
Children |
Kensington and Chelsea |
29.5% |
32.0% |
19.4% |
24.7% |
-10.2% |
-7.3% |
City and Hackney |
41.9% |
31.7% |
29.2% |
26.3% |
-12.7% |
-5.4% |
Tower Hamlets |
40.4% |
36.0% |
30.7% |
32.2% |
-9.7% |
-3.8% |
Ealing |
53.2% |
58.2% |
30.6% |
38.5% |
-22.6% |
-19.8% |
Hounslow |
60.1% |
60.5% |
33.0% |
38.5% |
-27.2% |
-22.0% |
Lambeth |
55.8% |
53.4% |
33.5% |
39.3% |
-22.3% |
-14.1% |
Newham |
41.5% |
42.5% |
36.7% |
39.8% |
-4.8% |
-2.8% |
Islington |
55.1% |
44.2% |
41.6% |
40.8% |
-13.5% |
-3.4% |
Southwark |
50.2% |
46.9% |
37.3% |
40.9% |
-12.9% |
-6.0% |
Camden |
64.4% |
50.6% |
42.1% |
42.3% |
-22.4% |
-8.3% |
Barking and Dagenham |
40.4% |
41.5% |
35.7% |
42.4% |
-4.7% |
0.9% |
Wandsworth |
47.8% |
59.0% |
32.5% |
46.6% |
-15.3% |
-12.4% |
Westminster |
57.7% |
56.9% |
37.5% |
47.1% |
-20.2% |
-9.8% |
Barnet |
33.4% |
53.3% |
28.8% |
47.5% |
-4.6% |
-5.7% |
Epping Forest |
35.1% |
54.2% |
32.8% |
47.7% |
-2.4% |
-6.5% |
Croydon |
52.7% |
64.1% |
37.8% |
51.6% |
-14.9% |
-12.5% |
Hillingdon |
57.9% |
61.9% |
41.2% |
52.8% |
-16.7% |
-9.1% |
Sutton and Merton |
45.6% |
53.6% |
37.3% |
52.8% |
-8.3% |
-0.8% |
Brent |
59.9% |
63.2% |
45.2% |
53.0% |
-14.7% |
-10.3% |
Waltham Forest |
46.9% |
60.9% |
38.5% |
53.8% |
-8.3% |
-7.1% |
Enfield |
42.1% |
60.1% |
35.6% |
54.3% |
-6.5% |
-5.8% |
Harrow |
45.7% |
59.6% |
39.5% |
54.8% |
-6.2% |
-4.8% |
Richmond and Twickenham |
35.4% |
60.9% |
22.0% |
55.5% |
-13.4% |
-5.4% |
Lewisham |
51.9% |
54.8% |
45.6% |
55.9% |
-6.3% |
1.1% |
Bexley Care Trust |
45.0% |
66.4% |
37.2% |
55.9% |
-7.8% |
-10.4% |
Bromley |
32.1% |
58.5% |
28.5% |
59.5% |
-3.7% |
0.9% |
Haringey |
60.0% |
64.8% |
49.1% |
59.5% |
-10.9% |
-5.3% |
Kingston |
42.2% |
71.3% |
29.7% |
59.7% |
-12.5% |
-11.6% |
Redbridge |
52.0% |
64.4% |
44.7% |
60.0% |
-7.3% |
-4.4% |
Havering |
52.6% |
64.9% |
41.2% |
60.5% |
-11.4% |
-4.4% |
Greenwich |
44.5% |
64.0% |
40.9% |
60.7% |
-3.6% |
-3.3% |
Welwyn Hatfield |
52.8% |
77.5% |
43.7% |
66.7% |
-9.2% |
-10.8% |
1. Figures have been taken from Hansard Parliamentary Answers 21 Dec 2004 : Column 1671W.
February 16, 2005
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