Darlington’s MP has urged the government to give the NHS a “boot up the back side” and has told them to “pull their finger out” and fix the dental crisis in the town. 

Peter Gibson said his constituency office has received enquiries from almost 200 residents who have been unable to access NHS dentistry services.

Thousands of Darlington residents are unable to get a dentist appointment due to huge backlogs and recruitment issues. People are fitting their own fillings and extracting their own teeth without anaesthetic or professional training. 

The Conservative MP reiterated his call for the urgent need for a change regarding the way that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) allocate NHS funding and ensuring that the system is a fair one for patients and dentists. 

Read more: Majority of Durham and Darlington dentists not accepting new patients

His renewed appeal comes after he previously claimed he had been “misled” by the ICB after it revealed it had not started the formal procurement process to find a replacement dental provider after the Burgess & Hyder practice, in Firthmoor, closed last March. 

Speaking in a debate on NHS dentistry, the MP said: “When the North East and North Cumbria ICB took over responsibility for dentistry in April last year, I was filled with fresh hope that a resolution would be found to the local situation in Darlington. 

“I was assured that emergency provision would be expanded and additional commissioning would be provided at a higher Units of Dental Activity (UDA) to further expand provision in Darlington. Imagine my dismay and disappointment when in late November I learned that little if nothing had been done. Literally nothing.”

The Conservative MP added that there are no dentists on the board of the ICB and criticised a focus on ‘internal bureaucracy’ rather than delivering for Darlington. 

He added: “I urge the minister to give our ICBs a boot up the backside and get them to pull their finger out. When things are as bad as they are, their underspend on dentistry is utterly shocking.”

The ICB said it is working to rectify the issue and has already invested an extra £3m since April - but warned there isn’t a quick fix. 

David Gallagher, executive area director at NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, said it has invested over £3m to support the commissioning of 27,000 extra appointments across the region since April. 

He added: “We recognise the significant issues that exist across the region and a plan is being developed to help us address the long-standing issues we inherited. We are reviewing the clinical leadership which will drive forward the transformation and recovery for dentistry services over the coming years ahead.

Mr Gibson recently shared a letter he had sent to the ICB online - but faced criticism from Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, in the Commons chamber. 

“What that is, and what voters will see it for, is just one of what will no doubt be countless examples of Tory MPs and Tory Ministers, after 14 years of their failure and mismanagement, pointing the finger of blame at someone else, hoping that voters in Darlington and elsewhere will blame local NHS managers and local NHS commissioners,” said Streeting.  

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“If it is really the case that his ICB is to blame for why people in Darlington cannot get a dentist, why are people struggling in Stockton South and every other constituency in the country? Stop blaming other people for your Government’s failures.”

But in response, Mr Gibson said the current NHS contract for dentistry stems from Labour’s reforms of 2006, and has increasingly shown itself to be lacking.

Lola McEvoy, Labour candidate for Darlington at the next General Election, labelled the current situation ‘dire’ and said it is time for a Labour government.