Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has pledged to prioritse NHS dentistry as he discussed his party's healthcare package. "We're seeing people leave at record rates, people aren't performing NHS dentistry in the numbers they used to and lots of NHS dentists are nearing retirement," Mr Davey said.
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00:00Well, when we launched the manifesto, we put health and care right at the centre.
00:03We put forward a £9 billion package for GPs, for ambulances, for personal care and so on.
00:09Property funding, we showed where the money was coming from, in terms of reversing the
00:13tax cuts that the Conservatives have given to the big banks, and asking the billionaires
00:17and multi-millionaires to pay more in capital gains.
00:19So we've had a cost of health and care programme, and a big part of that is NHS dentistry, £750
00:25million.
00:26It needs to be that level because of the crisis in NHS dentistry.
00:30We're seeing people leave at record rates.
00:34People aren't performing NHS dentistry in the numbers they used to.
00:38There's also, and this is really alarming, lots of NHS dentists nearing retirement.
00:44So the crisis we've already got looks set to get worse.
00:47So that's why we've made it such a big thing.
00:49We see and hear it from people, they tell us they can't get an NHS dentist.
00:53I've had stories in my constituency where an NHS dentist in Chessington was looking
00:57after someone who'd come from Cornwall, someone who'd come from Leeds.
01:00So this really is a crisis and only the Liberal Democrats have the ambitious plan to tackle it.