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MEETING ... Paul Rowen.
MEETING ... Paul Rowen.

Trust has to find own dentist cash


14/ 7/2006

ROCHDALE Primary Care Trust (PCT) will have to find its own money to resolve dental problems in the town according to a health minister.

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen met health minister Rosie Winterton, Barry Cockcroft, head of dental staff in England and Simon Hall, head of dental and opthalmic services delivery at the Department of Health, to discuss the state of dentistry in the town.

Mr Rowen requested extra money to help disadvantaged areas like Rochdale but Mrs Winterton would not commit to the funding and said it was up to the PCT to find the cash.

During the meeting, Mr Rowen outlined some of the long-standing and serious problems with dentistry in the town, including lack of NHS dentists and money for the PCT to commission them.

He also raised the issue of orthodontists and said Mrs Winterton had agreed to look at amending the system so the treatment of out-of-town patients is paid for by their local PCT.

Mr Rowen said: "This meeting gave me a good opportunity to highlight the generally poor state of Rochdale residents' teeth.

"I gave the example of Balderstone Dental Practice going private and the new practice in Milnrow which opened last year to hundreds queueing and which has now gone private. This isn't acceptable.

"The Balderstone practice serves the biggest council estate in Rochdale, many residents can't afford to pay private and no NHS dentist has been found for them."

Mr Rowen said he would be discussing the meeting with local dentists and Rochdale PCT.

He said: "The meeting was constructive and I will continue to raise these issues until we get a solution.

"People have a right to an NHS dentist, something Tony Blair promised when he was elected.

"We also need to put this in the context of the news that life expectancy in parts of Rochdale is some of the worst in the country.

"These are huge health problems and these need to be dealt with by the Government."


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   Well you shouldn't have missed your appointments and wasted the dentists time. He could have seen other people but instead ended up with an empty chair.
RealityofToday, Rochdale
31/01/2007 at 21:35
   I have been with my dentsit since i was child recently i have been taken off there register because I have cancelled appointments, I persnally think it disgracefull i am left without a dentist and i urgently need treatment, and it is proving difficult to find one every where i ring they are reg but just taking private clients, at this rate i will end up paying over the odds for a filling.

something needs to be done about this, i work and pay my taxes and then to be told i can't reg with a dentist is not on.
Miss Zaytoon Saddique, Rochdale
5/01/2007 at 16:35
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