SNP must make lifesaving dental checks available to everyone, Labour say

Dentists made more than 1,000 cancer-related referrals in 2023-24

The SNP must ensure that “lifesaving” dental checks are available to all Scots, Scottish Labour has urged, after new data shows their role in identifying cancer.

Figures obtained by Scottish Labour revealed dentists have made more than 1,000 cancer-related referrals in 2023-24 alone, but the number of referrals varied dramatically by health board, indicating that the chances of a cancer being identified may depend on a patient’s geography.

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The proportion of adults reporting difficulties visiting the dentist rose from 20 per cent in 2019 to 34 per cent in 2023, according to the latest Scottish Health Survey.

Ayrshire and Arran saw 71 urgent suspected cancer referrals in 2019-20, a figure that rose to 159 in 2023-24.

In Dumfries and Galloway the number jumped from 64 to 139, and rose from six in Tayside to 159 during the same period. In Glasgow the number fell from 391 to 42, and also plummeted in Fife, dropping from 171 to 23.

Scottish Labour’s dental spokesperson Paul Sweeney said: “Dentist checks have a life-saving role to play in the screening programmes that help us identify cancer early and treat it.

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"There are too many cases of late cancer diagnosis and delays in starting treatment that are causing preventable and premature deaths.

Scottish Labour’s Dental Spokesperson Paul Sweeney said his party would end the “postcode lottery”Scottish Labour’s Dental Spokesperson Paul Sweeney said his party would end the “postcode lottery”
Scottish Labour’s Dental Spokesperson Paul Sweeney said his party would end the “postcode lottery” | Supplied

“This is why it’s all the more worrying that one in three Scots are struggling to access dentists, especially in the poorest areas.

“Scottish Labour will end the postcode lottery in access to NHS dentistry and incentivise newly-qualified dentists in the areas where they are most needed so that everyone can have access to these vital checks.”

Last week Scottish Government ministers were urged to increase access to NHS dentistry in Scotland after it emerged that 1.8 million adults have gone without a check-up in the past two years.

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The Public Health Scotland data was obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats via freedom of information requests. Official figures also showed that more than 177,000 children have not attended a practice since 2022, and more than 80,000 children and more than a quarter of adults have not been seen by a dentist in the past five years. The statistics represent almost 40 per cent of all those on the NHS register for dental services.

These revelations followed a recent study from the National Dental Inspection Programme which showed that 22.4 per cent of children in their first year of school in Scotland had untreated decay.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Everyone in Scotland, unlike elsewhere in the UK, is entitled to free NHS dental checkups, regardless of age.

“In addition, young people aged under 26 are eligible for free NHS dental treatment, this means around 600,000 young people could benefit from completely free dental care in Scotland.

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“Almost 95 per cent of the population are registered with an NHS dentist and 60 per cent of those (3.1 million people) have seen a dentist in the last two years.

“If approved, the 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21 billion for Health & Social Care next year, including funding to £2.2 billion for Primary Care services – a 7.9 per cent increase.

“Our significant and continued investment in NHS dentistry is supporting high volumes of treatment and ensures more time is spent with patients through enhanced examinations, with 2.6 million being completed between November 2023 and September 2024.

“Cancer remains a national priority for the NHS and Scottish Government. Our ten-year strategy focuses on improving cancer survival and providing equitable access to treatment.”

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