Woman sues NHS after living off Angel Delight and soup for a year as she cannot find a dentist
A WOMAN has lived off Angel Delight and soup for a year as she cannot find an NHS dentist to replace her dentures.
Jane Keenan, 63, is suing the Health Secretary for £3,000 over “systematic negligence on a massive scale”.
The ex-market trader said: “I am too embarrassed to even go out without any teeth and there is no point anyway because no one can understand me when I talk. I am really depressed.
“I’ve practically lived off Angel Delight and soup for a year. I usually go for the strawberry flavour and tomato soup. It gets boring.”
Jane, from Bournemouth, lost her dentures last year but her NHS dentist said she had been removed from their books because it was so long since her last appointment.
She said: “I’ve rung dentists for miles around but they’re not taking on NHS patients.
“NHS dentures would cost about £100. I can’t afford them privately.”
Blood tests showed low levels of iron and other nutrients as she struggles to eat solids.
She has now paid £160 to take legal action through the small claims court and sent a summons to Wes Streeting.
Jane said: “I kept seeing Mr Streeting on TV talking about the dentist crisis.
“I decided enough is enough.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has promised a “rescue plan” to provide 700,000 extra urgent appointments and make the NHS more appealing to dentists to boost recruitment.