Vince Cable

When the negotiations were concluded at the end of last week between local dentists and the NHS (Primary Care Trust) six of the 42 local NHS practitioners withdrew form the NHS but a much bigger loss was averted and the PCT says everyone needing NHS dentistry will be able to access it.

Vincent Cable, MP, who visited the PCT on Friday to discuss the crisis enveloping NHS dentistry, said that he was "somewhat reassured" that "the haemorrhage from the NHS has been slowed if not stopped. There was considerable anxiety over Hampton where the Courtyard practice was considering leaving but that appears to have been satisfactorily resolved".

He said that there was a "separate but more serious problem over orthodontists since Twickenham and Teddington have the biggest concentration in London and funding is unlikely to be available to keep all of them in the NHS. One practice, St Marks in Teddington, will keep going but is in continuing dispute. I was warned that there may be some difficult decisions ahead in this are.