Gordon Brown's fierce opposition to private medicine was called into question last night after it was revealed that he pays £100 an hour to be treated by one of Britain's top private dentists.

 

The Chancellor had routine treatment last week at the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry, which is run by a wealthy dentist who boasts of celebrity patients.

 

Despite its name, 80 per cent of its work involves routine general treatment.

It caters exclusively for private patients and does not offer NHS treatment.

Mr Brown was photographed leaving the practice on Wednesday after having root canal treatment.

In the second of two half-hour sessions, practice owner Mervyn Druian cleaned out a dead nerve end and fitted a crown to one of Mr Brown's teeth.

 

The Chancellor will shortly be sent a bill that could run into several hundred pounds once lab fees are added.

The disclosure that Mr Brown, who has fought hard to stop Tony Blair introducing private-sector methods into the National Health Service, has gone private may shock some of his Left-wing supporters.

 

But the Chancellor's allies played down his use of private medicine and cited the lack of NHS dentists - even though critics have blamed Government policies for the shortage.

 

"Using a private dentist is not the same as using a private doctor," said one friend of the Chancellor.

Critics say Britain's public dental system is more like that of a Third World country.

 

More than two million people have no access to an NHS dentist. There are only 3.7 NHS dentists per 10,000 people in England. That compares with about six dentists per 10,000 people in America.

A complete fukkin' hypocrite is the short answer.... <_< His Govt are responisible for the lack of good NHS dentists because quite simply, they are not giving dentists enough incentive to stay in the NHS system and those that do are tied up with unneccessary paper work which they have to do before they even see any money for treating NHS patients... It's totally bogus and almost entirely of this Govt's doing. there's only so much you can blame the Tories for, the facts are that this Govt has done very little to undo the damage done to the NHS caused by the Tories.... 10 years in power almost, and really, just what the fukk has Nu Labour done to improve the NHS....?

I read this in the paper yesterday.

Seems Gordon has something to answer for. Is he a hypocrite???? A big question...and if so then one would imagine this is in his character.

Could do with more facts like how long has be been paying for private treatment, did he go private back in his home constituency?

 

It is his money and he should be allowed to do with it how he sees fit, if that means private dentists or private schools or whatever then that should be his business, part of the job of ministers is to promote British industry and British manufacturing so should a minister be condemned if he buys a suit from Italy or a Japanese tv or a German road car ? No not at all so I fail to see the conflict of interest.

tbh i couldnt give a s**t.

It is his money and he should be allowed to do with it how he sees fit, if that means private dentists or private schools or whatever then that should be his business, part of the job of ministers is to promote British industry and British manufacturing so should a minister be condemned if he buys a suit from Italy or a Japanese tv or a German road car ? No not at all so I fail to see the conflict of interest.

 

Of course he can do what he likes, except it it his Government that has forced all the NHS dentists to go private, meaning the rest of us have to go private as well. If we cant afford it then try and find a NHS dentist near where you live. Some of us can afford it, so we are ok,but lots of people on low incomes can't.

And Gordon Brown decides Government policy, along with his partner in crime.

Of course he can do what he likes, except it it his Government that has forced all the NHS dentists to go private, meaning the rest of us have to go private as well. If we cant afford it then try and find a NHS dentist near where you live. Some of us can afford it, so we are ok,but lots of people on low incomes can't.

And Gordon Brown decides Government policy, along with his partner in crime.

 

EXACTLY... It's purely a case of 'sod you, I'm alright Jack'... Millions of people cannot afford proper dental health care and have no NHS dentist in their area, even under the fukkin' TORIES things weren't quite this bad...