Fluoride Decision Must Be A Local One

I am appalled at the arrogance of bureaucrats at the Strategic Health Authority. This unelected Quango is set to be abolished in April 2012, yet it still intends to push through its plans to add fluoride to our local water supply.

These sorts of controversial decisions should be taken locally and not by unaccountable bureaucrats. In April next year the SHA is being scrapped and decisions like fluoride will pass to local authorities. This makes their decision to push ahead even more perverse.

I am objecting to this in the strongest possible terms. They should put the decision on hold and then local people can decide the issue in due course.

Give Us A Vote!

On Wednesday I was delighted to support a motion to the City Council, calling for a public refurendum on whether fluoride should be added to the local water.

The council debate was about fluoride but not about the merit of fluoride or the concerns of those who oppose it. It was instead about Democracy.

It is clear that an overwhelming majority of residents in Southampton do not wish to have fluoride added to their water.The NHS’ initial consultation attracted 10,000 responses, with 72 per cent against. In a separate and later phone poll of 2,000 residents, 38 per cent opposed fluoridation compared to 32 per cent in favour. Whichever way you cut it, to date, local people have made it clear that they don’t want fluoride.

In a democratic, free country we should respect the views of majority. Labour’s unelected quango, the South Central NHS are however pushing ahead with their plans.

I feel that on such an important issue you shouldn’t ride roughshod over residents’ views. On Wednesaday I called for a referendum to determine finally and without doubt the views of local people. I would expect the NHS and the Government to respect the outcome of that referendum.

I was delighted that the motion was carried, albeit without the support of Labour or the Lib Dems.

On Wednesday we voted on the motion and made our views as a council known. However it is important to note that the Conservative Party nationally support local people having their say and a referendum. David Cameron and Andrew Lansley MP have both put this view on the public record when speaking recently in Hampshire.

Abandon Fluoride Plans and Invest In NHS Dentistry

It is clear that an overwhelming majority of residents in Southampton do not wish to have fluoride added to their water.

The NHS’ initial consultation attracted 10,000 responses, with 72 per cent against. In a separate and later phone poll of 2,000 residents, 38 per cent opposed fluoridation compared to 32 per cent in favour.

Whichever way you cut it local people have made it clear that they don’t want fluoride.

In a democratic, free country we should respect the views of majority. The NHS should therefore abandon their fluoridation plans for Southampton.

No one would deny that state of dental care in the country and in particular in Southampton needs urgent attention. Nationally tooth decay is now the third most common reason that children are admitted to hospital. The statistics for some parts of Southampton are truly shocking. However there are plenty of alternatives to fluoride.

An incoming Conservative Government would seek to transform NHS dentistry from a service that is currently in seemingly terminal decline to one which delivers high standards of care to everyone who needs it.

There needs to be a far greater emphasis on preventative care and other innovations that improve oral health. The Conservatives would remove perverse incentives, such being paid the same price to put in one filling as for ten, that drive dentists to provide unnecessary or incomplete treatments.

Conservatives also propose restoring access to dentists for the million people who have lost it due to the Government’s botched reforms, providing long term health and cost benefits. As capacity builds, dentists will move to patient registration, strengthened by giving people access to new information about the results dentists achieve, empowering choices.

By using money that is currently spent on carrying out unnecessary treatments we would instead reintroduce dental screening for children in schools, so that children aged five would have their oral health addressed.

We would also give dentists the freedom to charge patients who repeatedly miss appointments. Finally we would ensure that taxpayer trained dentists work for the NHS for at least five years.