The number of NHS dentists leaving in Herefordshire and Worcester has risen by 57.89% since  2018/19, House of Commons Library research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed  as the party has announced plans for a £750 million ‘rescue package’ for dentistry. The Liberal Democrat plan would mean around a quarter increase in funding on the NHS dentistry budget in England, which would help reform the NHS contract to encourage more dentists to take on NHS work. This would act as a ‘rescue package’ for dentistry in Herefordshire and Worcester as 30 NHS dentists left in  2022/23. That is a rise of 11 on the number of leavers compared with 2018/19, or an increase of 57.89% The situation threatens to get worse with 14% of NHS dentists in Herefordshire and Worcester nearing  retirement age creating the potential for even fewer dentists to cope with already overstretched services. Across England, the number of dentists leaving the NHS has risen by a third in the past four years. A further  3,532 dentists are nearing retirement age, over one in seven (14.6%) of the total dentists in the country. The Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent reforms to the dental contract to deliver more NHS dentist appointments and free check-ups for children. The party’s plan, backed by funding of £750m a year by the  end of the Parliament, would guarantee access to an NHS dentist for everyone needing urgent and  emergency care by: Bringing dentists back to the NHS from the private sector by fixing the broken NHS dental contract and using flexible commissioning to meet patient needs. Introducing an emergency scheme to guarantee access to free NHS dental check-ups for those already eligible: children, new mothers, those who are pregnant and those on low incomes. Liberal Democrat Candidate for Worcester, Mel Allcott said: “People across Worcester are going without what should be the very basics dental care. with it  now being seemingly impossible to get an appointment. “It cannot be acceptable that people across our area are forced to wait unnecessarily in pain, not  knowing if they will even be able to register with a dentist let alone get an appointment. “The Conservative party has pushed local health services and dentistry to their knees and it is  people in our community paying the price. “The Liberal Democrats have an ambitious plan to fix the dental contract and tackle the crisis in  dental care. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to get rid of this appalling Conservative government and fix the NHS and care.”

Worcesters Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservatives of letting their communities down as a new analysis of Home Office statistics reveals that 3,286 car thefts have gone unsolved in West Mercia since the last election.  The data shows just 5% of car thefts in the West Mercia police force resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed. National figures paint a similarly bleak picture, with 76% of car thefts going unsolved since the last election. The number of unsolved car thefts has also soared in this period, with a 42% rise from 76,333 in 2020 to 108,934 last year. Worcesters Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Party for these stark figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing have decimated frontline policing. This includes their decision to take over 4,500 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015. The Liberal Democrats are calling for Police and Crime Commissioners to be abolished and the savings invested into frontline policing instead – a move that could generate around £170 million over the course of the next Parliament. This will help enable a return to proper community policing – where officers are visible, trusted, and have the time to focus on preventing and solving neighbourhood crimes – so that criminals can no longer act with impunity. Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Worcester, Parliamentary Candidate Mel Allcott said: “Criminals are getting away with almost every car theft in Worcester – which is an outrageous failure from the Conservative Government.” “These thieves have brought misery to our communities, and must be caught- but the local police are too overstretched to actually do it. By slashing community officer numbers, the Conservatives are only benefiting the criminals.” “We need a return to proper community policing, with visible officers who are preventing and tackling crime.”

The Liberal Democrats have called for a new legal right for cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, as part of a plan to boost survival rates and improve treatment for those affected by the disease. The latest NHS figures show that, in the last year, over 100,000 cancer patients in England were left waiting more than 62 days to start treatment after an urgent referral. This includes 1,565 cancer patients in Worcestershire. This means only 42% of patients in the area were treated within two months, below the government target of 85%. Launching the Liberal Democrat election manifesto this week, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has set out proposals to invest an extra £8.4 billion a year in the NHS and social care. The Liberal Democrat plan to boost cancer survival rates includes increasing the number of radiotherapy machines across the country, cutting the time for groundbreaking new medicines to reach patients, a new cancer research law, and improved support for cancer patients and their families. The policy builds on existing proposals from the party on health, including introducing a right to see a GP within a week and expanding NHS dentistry so people aren’t forced to pay for private dental treatment. Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Worcester, Parliamentary candidate Mel Allcott said: “Everyone knows someone whose life has been turned upside down by cancer.  “Far too many people are waiting far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed. We must do right by them and get them the care they need when they need it. “The Liberal Democrats would give cancer patients a new, legal right to treatment within two months of an urgent referral, to make sure they get the timely care they deserve. This forms part of our ambitious plan to end unacceptable cancer delays and boost survival rates.”

The number of people starting apprenticeships in Worcester has fallen by 33.33% since 2015/16, House of Commons Library research analysed by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. It comes as the Conservative have announced a new policy to boost the number of apprenticeships despite a decline of 172,000 apprenticeship starts per year in England, a fall of over a third. The Liberal Democrats committed to increase pay for apprenticeships to at least the minimum wage and for the apprenticeship levy to be scrapped. This was introduced by the Conservative government in April 2017. Under current rules, firms with an annual wage bill of above £3m must set aside 0.5% of their payroll to apprenticeships. However, many organisations are unable to use the funds, where levy money is then reclaimed by the Treasury if remaining unused for two years. The resultant collapse in people starting apprenticeship is widening the skills shortages, and making it harder to encourage young people into the workforce. Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Worcester, Parliamentary Candidate Mel Allcott said: “Young people across the country are being let down by a Conservative party that has failed to give them the opportunities they deserve and give businesses the flexibility they desperately need. “The declining number of people starting apprenticeships in Worcester shows just how badly broken this Conservative government has left our apprenticeship system. “Urgent reform is needed. That’s why the Liberal Democrats committed to increasing the apprenticeship wage to stop treating apprentices as second class workers and to reform the apprenticeship levy to boost numbers and stop the decline we have seen under this Conservative government.”

The Liberal Democrats have called for a new protected status for local rivers and marine protected areas, after shocking figures reveal that Severn Trent dumped sewage 248 times in Worcester in 2023. Analysis of official data from the Environment Agency by the party shows that Severn Trent discharged sewage in Worcester’s waterways for a staggering 2,171 hours in 2023. In an effort to tackle sewage dumping, the Liberal Democrats have announced a massive expansion of marine protected areas and a new Blue Flag status for rivers will be included in the party’s general election manifesto. The introduction of Blue Flag status would set legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping in those sites, giving special protected status for swimmers and wildlife. Worcester’s Liberal Democrats have led the way in campaigning against sewage dumping in the area. Nationally the party recently announced plans to abolish Ofwat, introducing a new regulator with greater powers, which follows its plans for a ban on water company executive bonuses. Mel Allcott, Liberal Democrat candidate for Worcester, said: “Worcester’s precious rivers have been destroyed after years of a Conservative government letting water firms get away with environmental vandalism. “It is time we got tough on polluting and profiteering water firms, yet Conservative MPs have stood by whilst swimmers have become ill and wildlife killed by sewage discharges. “This scandal has to end now. The Conservative party has failed to protect swimmers and wildlife. “The Liberal Democrats will have the boldest manifesto on cleaning up our rivers and coastlines. Families should be free to swim safely in the knowledge that our waters are not polluted with sewage.”