Tim Prestwood

Dentistry access across Britain is a total mess - I had a constituent who pulled his own tooth out because of the pain. We need to get a grip, yet nobody is talking about it. What will a Restore Britain Government do? 1. Train more British dentists. Expand dental school places and provide bursaries for British students who commit to serving areas most affected by shortages. Build more dental schools, all over Britain. Increase training places for dental nurses, hygienists, therapists and technicians. Importantly - we will offer financial incentives for emigrated British dentists and qualified professionals to return to Britain. 2. Free dental training for British students. We will provide fully funded dental education and training for British citizens who commit to serving NHS patients in Britain for a minimum of ten years after qualifying. (More professions will be included in this policy, details to come soon). Those who fulfil their commitment will have their tuition fees covered in full. Those who leave early or choose not to fulfil their service commitment will be required to repay a proportionate amount. The first two points are quite straightforward - we will invest in our own people. 3. Only British citizens for NHS dentistry. Overhaul eligibility rules so routine NHS-funded dentistry is only given to British citizens. We will end access to routine NHS-funded dental treatment for foreign nationals. If foreign nationals want dental care in Britain, they can pay for it UP FRONT - urgent or otherwise. 4. Reform HC2 certificates and low income schemes We will review the NHS Low Income Scheme, including HC2 certificates, to ensure that entitlement to free NHS dental treatment is properly verified - no foreign national will have access. 5. End ALL routine NHS-funded dentistry for illegal migrants. Under Restore Britain's proposed rules, ‘asylum seekers’ will not qualify for routine NHS-funded dental care because they are receiving asylum support or hold an HC2 certificate. In 25/26, 201,123 of these certificates were issued to ‘asylum seekers’. It is INSANE. They will not receive dental care, they will be deported. 6. Bring dentists back to towns and villages We will provide targeted start-up loans and grants for independent practices opening in areas with severe shortages - offer total business rates relief to qualifying practices. 7. Reward dentists who serve underserved communities Offer financial incentives and student loan repayment support to dentists who commit to several years of NHS work in shortage areas. The five golden rules of business - what’s in it for me? If we want to help these communities, it will cost. We will encourage experienced dentists to remain in NHS practice through flexible contracts and reduced bureaucracy. All alongside financial incentives to bring retired dentists back into the profession. 8. Guarantee urgent dental access. We will expand urgent dental services, including evenings and weekends. 24/7/365 access. Do it round the clock. It will cost. It’s worth it. Clear the backlog. Allowed qualified professionals to do more, freeing up the time of fully trained dentists to complete more complex work. Introduce a target for clinically urgent patients to receive appropriate assessment or treatment within 24 hours. 9. Restore rural dentistry. We will invest in mobile dental clinics, satellite surgeries and part-time services in communities where permanent provision is difficult for whatever reason. As stated, we will provide targeted recruitment and equipment support for practices serving rural areas. We will not forget rural Britain. 10. Prioritise children. Restore Britain will guarantee to improve early access to treatment, especially urgent, and reduce avoidable hospital admissions. We will put British children first. A full Restore Britain policy paper will come, but here is the basis of our plan. Nobody will be pulling their own teeth out under a Restore Britain Government.