There are 11 million people in England who no longer visit the dentist because they cannot get an appointment or afford the fees.
This situation is about to get even worse as more dentists refuse to offer NHS treatment.
Bupa, one of the largest providers of dental care, is to axe 85 practices, which will leave half a million people without a dentist.
According to the British Dental Association 3,000 dentists have stopped providing NHS services since the start of the pandemic.
It is blaming flawed government contracts which make it uneconomical to deliver care.
Instead of trying to resolve this crisis, No10 is to put up more barriers by raising dental charges yet again next month.
This will cause more people to resort to DIY treatment and leave more living in pain.
Since the Tories won power in 2010, NHS dentistry funding has fallen by 9% in real terms. We have rotting teeth because we have a rotten government.
Migrant failure
The Conservatives’ record on immigration is a record of failure.
Despite spending billions of pounds and introducing multiple laws, they have failed to devise a compassionate or competent policy.
Ministers are now resorting to gimmicks such as promising to house asylum seekers on cruise ships.
And they are using ever-more incendiary rhetoric to distract from their failings.
The Government is also vowing to set up detention centres on disused military bases.
This would not be necessary if they had not allowed the backlog of asylum applications to reach a record high of 160,000 – a delay that is costing nearly £7million a day in hotel costs.
People want an immigration system that is firm but fair. The Tories have delivered neither.
Thank you, Paul
Paul O’Grady was a comedian, entertainer, presenter, animal lover, and a fighter for social justice and LGBTQ rights.
It was a life well lived by someone who was universally well loved.
