Teeth, Crossrail and the Post Office

Written by Jenny Tonge MP and published in Online Exclusive on Fri 9th Jan 2004

The biggest issue in the constituency at the moment - as far as the Richmond side is concerned - appears to be teeth.

Just before Christmas I suddenly began getting letters on the subject. It seems another dental practice in my constituency has decided it will no longer treat national health patients. Dentists who will treat NHS patients are now scarcer than hens' teeth (if you will pardon the pun).

As soon as I was back in the office I called the Primary Care Trust. Their reaction surprised me. They told me there was "not much of a problem" with NHS dentistry. That's not my impression - even before this latest practice closed its doors I had a steady trickle of complaints.

However, the PCT has promised it will find a NHS dentist so if you are one of the affected people, call them on 020 8973 3000 and they'll send you the list.

The list - which they sent me - isn't reassuring. Most of the names on it will not take on new NHS patients, or they will treat only children under the NHS. Of the practices listed as "accepting all types of patients" in the Richmond part of my constituency (I'm waiting for figures from the Kingston PCT) I counted one in Barnes, one in Ham and two single-practitioners.

If it's the Government's intention that NHS dentistry should go the way of the eye service - how much did you pay for glasses the last time you changed them? - I think we should be told. I shall be taking this up with the Secretary of State.

Neither of my other "big issues" have gone away. I have succeeded in getting an adjournment debate in Westminster Hall on the Crossrail issue. You will remember that a number of properties along the railway line in Sheen Park and Townshend Terrace have been subjected to "planning blight" because of the planned route for Crossrail should it ever be extended to Richmond and Kingston.

No news on the Kew Post Office yet either. I have had an apologetic letter from Post Office Ltd saying they are "continuing to do all we reasonably can" to get it open again.

What makes me mad about this one is that they must already have known there was a problem with the former post-master at Sandycombe Road when they went ahead and closed the other branches at Kew Green and Popham Gardens! There's to be a debate in the House of Commons on the Post Office closure programme shortly and I shall certainly make this point if I get the chance.