Hinckley Councillor calls for action to ensure local people can get dental treatment
A Hinckley councillor spoke at a national party conference to highlight the lack of access to NHS dentistry locally and the knock on effect on peoples health.
Speaking at the national Liberal Democrat conference in York Hinckley Councillor Michael Mullaney said
"The lack of access to NHS dentists and the cost of private dentistry is an issue that concerns so many people I speak to in Hinckley and Bosworth.
"I'm glad therefore that the Liberal Democrats are highlighting the issue so publicly at our national conference calling for action to ensure people have access affordable dental care.
"In Leicestershire we have the appalling situation where no dentists are taking on new adult NHS patients. Dental treatment is costly and at a time when people are worried about how to pay the spiralling fuel bills, to pay soaring mortgage and rent costs and food bills it's no surprise many just can't afford dentistry. And this leads to that modern horror, diy dentistry where far too many people whose lives are clouded with dental pain decide to take action. But it's action without professional help or anaesthetic but with a pair of pliers.
"It's not just DIY dentistry though. Rates of mouth cancer have risen by a third in the last ten years and doubled in the last twenty. Meanwhile survival rates for mouth cancer have hardly improved In the last 20 years and one of the main reasons is late diagnosis.
"More than half of mouth cancers are only found at stage 4 the most advanced stage of cancer. Lack of dental appointments is contributing to this lack of early diagnosis. Meaning more people sadly getting mouth cancer and putting more strain on the NHS
"For their good health people need easier access to affordable dental care. Thank goodness we as a party are setting out positive proposals to help solve the dental crisis. Reforming and increasing funding for dental care to encourage dentists to take on more NHS patients. Increase the number of dentist training places to increase the number of dentists in future.
"People must have access to healthcare including dental care as a basic human right. Too many are not getting the affordable dental care they need and that must change."
A Hinckley County Councillor has renewed calls for a safe road crossing to be installed near a Hinckley School.
Lib Dem Councillor for Hinckley De Montfort Michael Mullaney has campaigned with local parents, residents and fellow Hinckley Councillors David Bill and Stuart Bray to get a safe crossing near St Peter’s School on London Road, Hinckley.
This follows news that Leicestershire County Council have again decided against putting a crossing there.
In a written submission to the County Council’s Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee Michael Mullaney set out why a crossing was still needed there
“A huge number of residents in the area I represent on the County Council and the area my two fellow Hinckley County Councillors David Bill and Stuart Bray represent support a safe crossing at St Peter’s School on London Road in Hinckley. 8,850 residents signed a petition supporting the campaign.
“There are safety concerns, there have been a number of near misses involving pupils and parents going to the school. Although not recorded it is believed that there was an accident leading to a fatality some years ago along this part of London Road when a pedestrian was knocked over.
“Whilst I appreciate the extra road safety measures that are proposed for London Road near St Peter’s School I am extremely disappointed that the request for a safe road crossing has not been supported in the report.
“There is widespread support for it and Cllrs Bill, Bray and myself identified funding for putting a crossing in at the site through the Members Highway Fund, a fund which was developed with the apparent intention of supporting Highways causes that were important in Councillor’s local areas.
“Whilst it’s welcome that a crossing person has been recruited for St Peter’s School there is always the risk that the person may step down from the job and it may be difficult to find a new person (as it took some years to recruit a crossing person there, with no school crossing patrol between 2017 and 2022 despite attempts to recruit to the post). A safe pedestrian crossing at the site however would be a permanent safety measure that would benefit pupils and parents and residents more generally crossing the road there.
“Whilst I welcome the fact there will be some safety improvements at the site I and many residents believe there still needs to be a safe permanent crossing at St Peter’s School. I therefore urge the County Council to rethink and agree to installing a crossing near St Peter’s School”
