NHS campaign launched

LOCAL Tory parliamentary candidate, Gordon Henderson, has launched a campaign to discover if local people are having difficulty finding an NHS dentist.

The campaign includes distribution of a leaflet across the Sittingbourne & Sheppey constituency and local newspaper advertisements encouraging people to contact Mr Henderson to let them know if they cannot find an NHS dentist in the area.

The adverts direct people to the campaign website, www.gordonhenderson.gov.uk, where they can leave their contact details and watch a video in which he explains more about his concerns.

Gordon said:

“The lack of NHS dentists is part of a wider dentistry problem. Good habits are formed early in life and looking after our teeth is no exception. That’s why school dental checks were such a good thing. They provided a focal point for young children to learn about the importance of looking after their teeth and were a way of identifying and nipping in the bud dental problems.

“To its eternal shame the current Labour Government removed the duty for local health trusts to provide school dental checks so they are no longer available in some schools.

“In addition, with the shortage of NHS dentists many parents are struggling to find an NHS dentist for their children, even though they are entitled to free treatment up to the age of 18.

“I know that the Primary Care Trust provided thousands of pounds to provide better NHS dentistry for the Sittingbourne area and that £275,000 is being allocated to provide better dentistry facilities on Sheppey.

“But I still receive complaints about the difficulty of finding a NHS dentist locally, so I have launched this campaign to find out the extent of the problem.

“I am a great supporter of the NHS and I am determined to ensure that local people have the access to the services to which they are entitled. I am also determined to press for the restoration of school dental checks.”