"WHERE ARE THE DENTISTS?"

12.00.00pm GMT Sun 16th Nov 2008

Lib Dem candidate Stephen Gilbert asks "Where are the dentists?"

Stephen Gilbert, the Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for St Austell & Newquay, was shocked to discover two brand new dental treatment rooms sitting empty and unused during a recent visit to meet doctors and patients at the Clay Area Health Centre in Roche.

The Lib Dem candidate is now demanding to know when health authorities will bring the two empty rooms into use.

Stephen Gilbert said: "With thousands of people in the clay area without an NHS dentist it is a scandal that these two new treatment rooms are sitting empty and unused. As I understand it the Primary Care Trust has been paying to keep these rooms empty since the centre opened. I have written to the head of the PCT asking for an urgent explanation of when they plan to bring in the promised dental services."

The Lib Dem candidate was visiting the Clay Area Health Centre to discuss a Government consultation that could stop GPs dispensing medicine from their surgeries when he noticed the two rooms marked "Dental Treatment".

Stephen Gilbert said: "At first I was pleased to see that the health centre also offered a dental service on the same site. But when I asked about the rooms, I was shocked that they have been empty since the building was built."

He added: "The shortage of NHS dentists in Cornwall is storing up real problems for the future. While we may not like going to the dentist, prevention is always better than cure and there will be serious health consequences in the future if dental provision in the area is not addressed."