Last week it was great to see some familiar faces in Parliament. I hosted Patrick Langmaid and his son and my team took them on a tour of the House of Commons and ‘the other place’. Patrick is a big employer in North Cornwall and has contributed a great deal to our local economy. On Tuesday it was great to sit down with Tim Smith our former NCCA Chairman. Tim served on the green benches for many years as a Conservative MP, so a tour wasn’t required!
Everyone should be able to access NHS dentistry quickly and easily, and I understand the frustration of people in North Cornwall when they need to see a dentist but struggle to get an NHS appointment. I am therefore delighted that the Conservative Government has published its NHS Dental Recovery Plan, creating 2.5 million more NHS dental appointments over the next year. The Conservative Government is sticking to the plan to deliver immediate and long-term change to improve access to NHS dentistry. Our ambitious commitments far exceed the pledges made by Labour and will ensure that everyone can access the right care and stay healthy for years to come. Backed by £200 million of new Government funding, the plan sets out a package of measures to deliver 2.5 million additional NHS dental appointments over the next 12 months, ensuring they are where they are needed most, and expanding preventative care for younger children to help reduce tooth decay. To help improve access in the short term, new dental vans are being launched to help reach more isolated communities, including in rural and coastal areas. In the longer term, around 240 dentists will be offered one-off payments of up to £20,000 for working in under-served areas for up to three years, helping to attract new NHS dentists and improve provision of care in areas with the highest demand. Further measures include introducing a New Patient Premium payment to incentivise dentists to treat around a million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or more. The scheme will be introduced within weeks, ensuring that patients can benefit immediately. The minimum value of activity will also increase from £23 to £28 and high-performing practices will also be able to deliver extra work on top of their contracted activity, ensuring that NHS work is more attractive to dental teams.
I welcomed over £850,000 in new funding awarded to Buttermilk Confectionery a home-grown family run business in North Cornwall. They will now be able to launch a major expansion in Bodmin due to this Government funding delivered through the Shared Prosperity Fund. They are a great North Cornwall company that has its roots in Padstow back in 1964 to a company who has its products on many a supermarket shelves; it is now run by Tracy and David and employs many people in the constituency. I have previously visited the company and hosted them in the House of Commons and know they have done a wonderful job of putting their brilliant products and Cornwall on the map. If you require my help with anything, including benefits, the NHS, or cost of living support then please get in touch. I also hold regular advice surgeries across North Cornwall, over the phone and online. Updates on my work can be found at www.scottmann.org.uk and you can contact me via scott@scottmann.org.uk or 01208 74337.
