Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chi Onwurah and Steve Brine

Tuesday 14th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

14. What steps he is taking to tackle inequalities in the provision of dental health services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Steve Brine)]

NHS England has a duty to commission primary care dental services to meet local need, including for the most deprived groups. Nationally, access continues to grow with 1.9 million more patients seen between 2010 and 2016. The Starting Well programme, of which I am sure the hon. Lady is aware, will work to improve the oral health of children under the age of five in 13 high- needs areas. The dental contract reform programme is also working to improve access and oral health.

[Chi Onwurah]

Seven people per day in my constituency are going into A&E because of toothache, and the poorest among us are twice as likely to be hospitalised for dental care. Yet there is no mention of dental care in the “Five Year Forward View”, and funding has fallen by 15% since 2010. Why is the Minister leaving my constituents in pain and overburdening A&E by neglecting dental care?

[Steve Brine]

I am interested to hear the hon. Lady say that, because the January to March 2017 GP patient survey results, which were published in July, show that 97% of those trying to get an NHS dental appointment in the Newcastle Gateshead clinical commissioning group area were successful, compared with the 95% England average.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chi Onwurah and Steve Brine

Tuesday 4th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

13. What assessment he has made of the consistency and quality of GP services in (a) Newcastle and (b) England.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Steve Brine)]

In 2016, 85% of patients surveyed across England reported a good overall experience of their GP surgery. In the Newcastle Gateshead CCG, patient satisfaction is even higher than the national average at 88%.

[Chi Onwurah]

Newcastle has fantastic GPs, but many of my poorest and most vulnerable constituents suffer from GP unavailability and a constant change of providers due to the requirement to re-tender every couple of years to a market that, quite frankly, does not want them because they are too poor or too marginalised to make money from. Will the Minister meet me and my local CCG to find out how we can ensure that those people get the quality and consistency of GP services that they deserve?

[Steve Brine]

I am very happy to do that.