The British Dental Association has responded to news that Yvette Cooper has been appointed as Health and Social Care Secretary in the new Burnham administration.
Recent data has indicated that dentistry in England is not on the road to recovery, with unmet need for care remaining at record highs of over 13 million, more than 1 in 4 of England’s adult population.
At the outset of this current phase of the leadership crisis in the Labour Party the BDA had expressed its deep concern that there was now a material risk that promises to fix NHS dentistry within this parliament could not be kept. Key decisions on reform and funding have drifted, and a consultation on the future of the discredited contract fuelling the crisis in the service – pledged for this summer – has been put on hold.
It remains unclear if Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock, who has responsibility for the dental brief, will remain in post.
BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said:
“Our congratulations to Yvette Cooper.
“Wes Streeting made us his first meeting as Health Secretary. It reflected the scale of the crisis in NHS dentistry.
“That crisis is still with us, with millions still unable to access the care they need. A new team must offer real urgency and ambition on reform, or this service will cease to exist.”
