I frequently hear from local residents across South East Cornwall who are desperate to get an appointment, or to register with an NHS dentist. Unfortunately, many give up hope of ever getting one. It’s a postcode lottery, but it shouldn’t be, and our area is losing out badly.

Recent data shows that Cornwall has some of the worst dental access rates in the country. Just 34 per cent of adults and 47 per cent of children in Cornwall have seen an NHS dentist in the past year – well below the national average. That’s simply unacceptable.

If I’d been successful in this week’s Health and Social Care questions ballot, I would’ve asked the Minister to commit to urgent, targeted support for places like ours – rural and coastal areas where the lack of access is particularly stark. We need more local dental training places, support for dentists to set up and stay in practice here, and mobile dental units to reach those most isolated.

Across England, 74 per cent of people who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years were successful, but in the South West it drops to just 65 per cent, the lowest in the country. Even worse, many people aren’t even trying. Nearly half of adults surveyed hadn’t tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the past two years and a quarter of them said it was because they didn’t think they could get one. That’s shocking. It speaks volumes about how broken the system has become.

Years of underfunding and poor decisions have left millions without the care they need. The so-called “New Patient Premium” scheme introduced by the last government wasted £88-million without making any real difference. A scheme that should have helped ended up doing nothing.

This Labour government is turning that around. We have recognised this problem and taken action to deliver what our communities really need. This year, 10,910 urgent care dental appointments are due to be delivered across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as part of the 700,000 extra appointments promised nationally. These were scheduled to begin roll out from April, and I will be watching closely to ensure they actually reach the people who need them, please let me know if you’re having any issues with this.

Labour has pledged to rebuild NHS dentistry through our Plan for Change, focusing on prevention, retaining NHS dentists, and reforming the contract so NHS work is worth doing again. This will take time, but I welcome the ambition and will work with my colleagues to ensure this is delivered for local residents.

In South East Cornwall, we need this practical action. The pain people are experiencing is real. It’s children waiting too long for treatment, older residents forced to travel miles or go private, and too many people resorting to DIY fixes because they’ve nowhere else to turn.

Dental care is basic healthcare. Access to it shouldn’t depend on your wallet, or your postcode.