NHS dentistry at 'crisis point' in Portsmouth as lack of treatment results in one man dying from Sepsis

Portsmouth city councillor George Fielding expressed deep concern about the state of National Health Service (NHS) dentistry in Portsmouth during a recent full council meeting. The Labour councillor highlighted the urgency of his notice of motion, which enables the council to address a crisis that has been “silently eroding our community”. The motion underscores Portsmouth’s alarming shortage of dentists relative to its population size, with reports indicating a 26 per cent decrease in the number of dentists in 2021 compared to the previous year.

The Southsea councillor described the consequences of the crisis as stark, with families “forced to make agonising decisions between putting food on the table and seeking dental treatment”. He added that “chronic underfunding” of the NHS has prevented dental contract reform, which he said is needed to solve recruitment and retention problems in the sector.

Cabinet member for community well-being, health and care, Cllr Matthew Winnington welcomed the motion in principle, stating no one should have to pay “hundreds of pounds for basic dental treatment”. However, he suggested amendments to reflect work done by the council and cross-party efforts on the issue. He said that the Liberal Democrat administration garnered 104,000 ‘units’ of NHS dental treatments in 2023 – the equivalent of 15 dentists in Portsmouth. He also applauded Conservative MP for Portsmouth North Penny Mordaunt for hosting a dental summit at the end of 2022.

Nelson ward councillor Lee Hunt, shared a tragic story of a resident who died from sepsis after he couldn’t find treatment for his infected teeth. “This is Britain right now, one of the richest nations in the world,” he added. The motion calls on the council to work with health partners to provide “immediate relief to residents in need”.

It also asks the leader of the council, and group leaders, to write to the secretary of state for health and care, outlining “specific actions and timelines” for addressing the shortage.