REDDITCH MP Chris Bloore hosted an NHS England dentistry drop-in session in Parliament to raise the concerns of local residents facing difficulties accessing NHS dental care.
The session, organised with NHS England specifically for Midlands MPs, comes amid growing national pressure on the NHS dentistry.
Mr Bloore said many of his constituents have reported months-long waits for appointments, challenges registering with NHS dentists and being forced to travel long distances or pay privately for basic treatment.
He said: “Far too many people in Redditch are being failed by a dental system that’s on its knees.
“I’ve heard from parents struggling to find NHS places for their children, elderly residents left waiting in pain for urgent treatment and families giving up on care altogether.
“That’s not good enough – and I used this session to ensure Redditch’s voice was heard loud and clear by NHS leaders.
“They need to know just how serious the situation is in our community.”
The Westminster drop-in was attended by Jason Wong MBE, chief dental officer for England and Adam Morby, regional chief dentist for NHS Midlands.
NHS England’s current operational guidance includes the provision of 700,000 additional dental appointments between now and March 2026.
While this short-term action is welcome, NHS leaders acknowledged the need for long-term reform, including modernisation of the NHS dental contract – a process currently under way.
Mr Bloore added: “While more appointments will help in the short term, we need deep and lasting reform to fix a broken system. The Government has promised action – now it must deliver.”
