Up to 32,000 Victorians needing priority dental treatment will benefit from a new $500 dental voucher scheme to be introduced by a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government.
Further, in a major funding boost to public dental services, $200 million in additional funding over four years, will be invested to increase base funding capacity to the sector.
Currently, people on the public dental waitlist are forced to either wait for over two years-plus until their dental appointment comes up or find $500 or more that they don’t have and go to a private dentist.
Our vouchers will allow high priority public dental patients to access private dental services as soon as possible.
Under the Andrews Labor Government, the number of Victorians awaiting critical dental care remains unacceptably high at more than 64,000, with the average public dental waiting period now 26.7 months.
We will provide $500 dental vouchers to 32,000 Victorians to halve the dental waitlist within two years.
The vitally needed $200 million funding boost to public dental services base funding will allow the employment of more public sector dentists and staff to ensure that the unacceptably high public dental waiting list numbers under the Andrews Labor Government never happen again.
Leader of the Liberal Party, Matt Guy, said the commitment to halve public dental waitlists and to significantly boost public dental funding was an important part of the Liberals and Nationals’ plan to fix the health crisis and provide assistance to struggling families.
“As Premier, my first priority will be to fix the health crisis including a boost to public dental funding,” Mr Guy said.
“Victorians are struggling under the spiralling cost of living and our dental vouchers will help around 32,000 Victorians to get the dental treatment they can’t currently afford.”
“Importantly, the only way we can pay for this is by reining in Daniel Andrews’ spiralling debt, and cutting waste such as the $4.7 billion West Gate Tunnel blowout.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Georgie Crozier, said only the Liberals and Nationals had real solutions to fix the health crisis and give Victorians the care they deserve.
“For years, public dental care has been put in the too hard basket by Daniel Andrews – meaning longer wait times for Victorians in need,” Ms Crozier said.
“Only the Liberals and Nationals have real solutions to fix the health crisis, boost public dental funding and halve dental waitlists within two years.”
Matt Guy MP Georgie Crozier MP
Leader of the Liberal Party Shadow Minister for Health