National health spokesperson Paul Hutchinson is an outrageous hypocrite when he says Labour’s vision for a child and adolescent dental health service is “unrealistic” because of the low number of dental therapists, says Health Minister Annette King.

“The reason we have had a low number of dental therapists is that National closed down all the dental training schools in the 1990s. It was an absolute disgrace, and I cannot believe the extent of Dr Hutchinson’s hypocrisy in trying to blame us for what they actually did.

”It’s no wonder, after almost a decade of National’s cruel market force policies, that we have low numbers of therapists and an ageing workforce.The same situation is mirrored right across the health workforce. We have had to rebuild in almost every area.

“This Government has funded new dental therapy training degrees at Auckland and Otago, and we are now seeing the first graduates coming through.

“With these new graduates we will be able to do something about the state of oral health of our young people. That is why I am confident that our vision will be translated into reality when I announce details of funding for our new oral health policy shortly.

“One thing is certain --- with the cuts to health spending Dr Hutchinson’s leader announced today, oral health services won’t be the only health service to suffer again if National’s razor gang ever gets into power.”

Contact: John Harvey (04) 471 9305, John Saunders (04) 470 6851.