The Green Party today called South Central SHA's decision to fluoridate Southampton's tap water "dangerous, undemocratic and potentially illegal."
Stuart Jeffery, the party's health spokesperson, described fluoridation as a "sticking plaster with side effects solution."
The Greens further criticised the Southampton Primary Care Trust for "failing to provide adequate NHS dentistry for its residents."
A recent Freedom of Information request (1) revealed that 76% of Southampton's NHS dentists are not taking new patients.
And the controversial Southampton decision came on the very day that new dentistry data was released, which showed that less than half of adults are using NHS dentists and the proportion of children accessing NHS dentistry in Southampton has fallen by 2.4% over the past two years (2).
Stuart Jeffery continued "Trying to fix NHS dentistry problems by unethical and potentially illegal mass medication is simply wrong. Southampton needs to fix its access to dentistry.
"Having less than a quarter of its dental practices taking on new patients means that many poorer people are forced to go without dental care. The new statistics have also shown the proportion of children accessing NHS dental care is falling.
"The Green Party wants a proper dental health strategy founded on education, good diet and access to free dental health care. Southampton has failed to provide this, and is now resorting to a technofix that won't solve the problem but will breach everyone's universally-acknowledged human right not to be medicated without their consent."
Mr Jeffery, a health service manager, explained: "The European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine distinctly states that individuals have the right not to be medicated without their consent. Fluoride has well documented and dangerous side effects, and it is clearly wrong to expose people to these against their will.
"This appalling decision also seems to have been taken without any regard for the voice of local people, the majority of whom were opposed to mass medication with fluoride."
Notes:
1. FOI response to the Green Party dated 3rd Feb 2009 showed that of
Southampton PCT's 25 NHS dental practices only 6 were accepting new
patients in December 2008.
URL: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2009-02-27-fluoridation.html
Published and promoted by Tracy Dighton-Brown for the Green Party of England & Wales, both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ.
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When I think about what this government has done to NHS dentistry since it came to power, It makes me mad. The statistics will undoubtedly be mirrored up and down the country, but still the government refuses to listen. This move towards mass medication highlights the governments disregard and contempt for human rights (which it came to power promising to protect and enshrine) as well as the general legal principle of (informed) consent.
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