As a parent and your local councillor in Grantham, I am deeply concerned by recent reports that prisoners, including some of Britain’s most notorious criminals, have priority access to NHS dentistry over law-abiding citizens and children. This disparity isn’t just a matter of inconvenience—it’s about fairness, public trust, and how we prioritise services in our community.

The Issue at Hand

Reports reveal that prisoners, even those convicted of serious crimes, can access NHS dental appointments on the same day. They are also exempt from paying for treatments ranging from routine check-ups to more complex care like root canals and dentures. Meanwhile, millions of law-abiding citizens struggle to secure even primary NHS dental care, with thousands unable to find a dentist or waiting months for an appointment.

This disparity is especially troubling in “dental deserts” like Lincolnshire, where finding an NHS dentist is increasingly difficult. For many of our residents, the only options are expensive private care or visits to A&E to manage dental pain. Recent scenes of residents queuing from early morning hours to register at an NHS dentist underscore the desperation of the situation. Yet, convicts in prison have consistent access to free dental care, highlighting a system that seems to prioritise those behind bars over those who abide by the law.

How Did We Get Here?

One major factor is the structure of prison dental services. Dentistry for inmates is funded by NHS England and outsourced to private firms, which often pay dentists more than they’d earn in typical NHS settings. These firms have flexibility and incentives not usually available in NHS community clinics, making prison roles more attractive for dentists.

Meanwhile, despite working hard to support health services, local councils like ours find our resources stretched. Despite maintaining one of the lowest council tax rates in the UK, Lincolnshire County Council has invested £604 million in public services in 2023/24 to ensure vital support for residents. However, funding cuts to NHS services and prioritisation of dental services within prisons still leave our community without adequate access to affordable care.

Impact on Lincolnshire’s Residents

We feel the impact of these “warped priorities here in Grantham and across Lincolnshire.” Law-abiding citizens, including elderly residents and families, struggle to access affordable dental care. Some relevant figures:

  • Limited Access to NHS Dentists: Only about 40% of adults and 56% of children in England had seen an NHS dentist in the past two years. Access to rural areas like Lincolnshire is even more restricted due to fewer NHS practices serving large, dispersed populations.
  • Long Waiting Times and Queues: Some Lincolnshire residents report waiting 6-12 months for routine NHS dental appointments and face lengthy queues to register with an NHS practice.
  • High Demand for Community Health Services: Lincolnshire County Council invests heavily in services like the 0-19 Children’s Health Service and local oral health programs, such as the Lincolnshire Smiles Supervised Toothbrushing Programme for children. However, these programs must have more access to dental professionals.

Lincolnshire’s rural characteristics worsen this situation. As the fourth-largest county in England, delivering health services, including dental care, is more costly and challenging than in urban areas. Lincolnshire also has one of the highest elderly populations in the UK, expected to grow by 10% by 2041. This demographic shift increases the demand for accessible health and dental services, especially for those on fixed incomes who cannot afford private care.

What Needs to Change?

There’s no simple fix to this problem. Still, we can progress by pressing for more balanced funding and clearer priorities in NHS service provision. As your local councillor, I am committed to advocating for:

  1. Equal Access to NHS Dentistry – Dental care shouldn’t be more accessible to prisoners than citizens. Funding must be balanced so that every person, regardless of background, can access timely and affordable dental care.
  2. Incentives for Rural and Community Dentists – We need more attractive offers for dentists willing to work in community practices, especially in rural areas like ours. Fair pay and better contracts for dentists could help make NHS dental care more available in our local area.
  3. Transparent Allocation of NHS Resources – We must ensure that resources are used where they’re needed most. Law-abiding residents deserve the same standard of care as those in prison, and the government must provide transparency in how funds are allocated.

In Lincolnshire, we value fairness, responsibility, and service to the community. Grantham residents should not have to compete with prisons for the basic healthcare services they need. I’ll continue working to bring this issue to the forefront and press for solutions that put our communities first.