Patient’s Crusade For Cancer Patients Reaches Westminster
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- Published: Friday, 12 April 2024 09:11
- Written by Guy Tuggle
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A Manchester cancer patient’s campaign for access to NHS dentistry ’without obstacles or charges’ is to be considered by MPs at Westminster Hall on Wednesday 17th April.
Michele Solak-Edwards of Flixton, Manchester, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. Her diagnosis qualified her for free NHS prescriptions, but when she attended a course of dental treatment she was "horrified" to discover that NHS dental charges still applied.
So incensed was Mrs Solak-Edwards that she approached her then MP Kate Green (LAB Stretford and Urmston). Sympathetic to Michele’s concern, Green arranged a meeting to discuss the issue with the Minister responsible for Primary Care and a former breast cancer patient herself, Jo Churchill MP (CON Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket).
Michele was hopeful that given Mrs Churchill’s own experiences, the Minister would embrace her mission to make dentistry both accessible and free for cancer sufferers. Unfortunately, Mrs Churchill spoke kind words but ’nothing happened’. And then Covid hit.
Resurrected post-pandemic, Mrs Solak-Edwards’ campaign has drawn strong backing, not least from within the dental profession where clinicians recognise the interplay between cancer treatments and oral health.
An online petition has reached just short of 200,000 supporters. The Mouth Cancer Foundation, the Greater Manchester Local Dental Professional Network and the Prevent Breast Cancer charity are also championing the campaign.
Speaking to GDPUK, Mrs Solak-Edwards said "I was horrified to discover that cancer patients have to pay for their dental treatment”.
"Following my treatment, I helped to look after a group on Facebook for fellow sufferers of ’triple-negative breast cancer’ in order that they could share experiences and with over 3500 of us in the group, there have been many cases where ladies have had an awful experience with their dental health, resulting in a negative impact on their mental health and the sheer worry of having to find money for dentistry.
"Few ladies were aware that despite enduring highly challenging treatment, which in many cases means they have had to give up work or reduce their hours, their dental treatment, unless they are on means-tested benefits, still comes at a price.
"One woman was told she needed to lose many teeth before embarking on chemotherapy and had to take out a loan to cover the cost".
Michele added that it wasn’t just the cost of treatment which "even on the NHS is beyond the reach of many" but the difficulty finding an NHS dentist to see cancer patients was an ’inexcusable obstacle’ and ’something the government needs to address urgently’.
"Many cancer treatments demand that patients have good oral health and as treatment needs to commence urgently, access to a dental examination also needs to available without delay. The last thing a patient diagnosed with cancer needs to face is the added stress of finding and then paying for a dentist" said Mrs Solak-Edwards.
"Not only should dentistry for cancer sufferers be free but it should be mandatory for dentists - all dentists - to see cancer patients in a timely manner, the duty to do so spread across the profession.
"It can be done" said Mrs Solak-Edwards. "Look at housing: all housing developers are obliged to put aside a certain number of new houses for ’social housing’ purposes. So it should be for dental practices. There are patients for whom a dental visit can literally mean life and death”.
After months of applying, Kate Green’s successor as MP for Stretford and Urmston, Andrew Western (LAB) has secured a debate on ’Access to Dentistry for Cancer Patients’ to be held at Westminster Hall on Wednesday afternoon, 17th April.
Ahead of the debate, Mrs Solak-Edwards is meeting with Labour MP for Edgbaston, Preet Gill who has been lobbying hard for action to address the travails of NHS dentistry and its broken contract. Gill has been Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health since 2023
Awareness
Mrs Solak-Edwards said that aside from seeking an end to the ’scandal’ of cancer patients being charged for dentistry, she hoped the debate would trigger the roll out of improved messaging to cancer patients of the need to get their oral health checked, and treated, as early as possible, with dentists incentivised to facilitate this.
Cancer treatments have numerous side effects, a common one being xerostomia.
"So for patients who have not received proper oral health counselling, it’s very tempting to keep fruit juices or cordials at the bedside, all of which can cause decay and aggravate gum disease," said Mrs Solak-Edwards. "So as well as free and easy access for people with cancer, I’m also campaigning for preventive care messaging too”.
Michele’s campaign has reached almost 200,000 signatures. Its objectives are:
- Free dental care for cancer patients for a period of five years from diagnosis and renewable if dental problems continue or the person is still living with the disease.
- An increased awareness among GPs to tell their patients they need to visit a dentist before cancer treatment can begin.
- Any cancer patient to be added as an NHS dental patient immediately even if local surgeries are not accepting new people
- Immediate treatment so any issues are resolved before cancer treatment can begin.
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