Sussex MPs Unite In Call For Better Access To NHS Dentists
- Dominic Kureen
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
MPs from across Sussex have urged the Government to improve access to NHS dental care, warning that many patients are still struggling to find affordable treatment.
The issue was raised during a Parliamentary debate on NHS dentistry, where politicians from different parties shared concerns about the difficulties faced by residents across the county.
Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Alison Griffiths, highlighted the case of a pensioner who has spent years trying to find an NHS dentist.
She said the woman had faced repeated setbacks as practices closed, switched to private care or stopped accepting NHS patients, and was still unable to access affordable treatment.
Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, said some residents had been removed from patient lists because there were not enough dentists willing to work under NHS contracts.
He added that the situation was frustrating not only for patients but also for dental professionals.
Meanwhile, Chichester MP Jess Brown-Fuller said figures showed 63% of adults in Sussex had not seen a dentist in the two years up to June 2025.
She also said four in ten children had not received dental care during the same period.
Responding to the debate, Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said there had been an 11% increase in NHS dental treatments carried out in Sussex between April and October last year, compared with the same period before the General Election.
The Government says it is investing an additional £350 million a year into NHS dentistry and plans to recruit thousands more dentists.
However, concerns remain about the long-term future of NHS dental services.
Dr Agi Tarnowski, Chair of the West Sussex Local Dental Committee, said improvements had been made in some areas but warned there was still a long way to go.
She said uncertainty surrounding changes to NHS structures and wider government reforms risked undermining progress, adding that the future of NHS dentistry was looking "less certain".