Oral Answers to Questions

Giles Watling Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon) (LD)]

4. If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of accessibility to dental appointments on urgent dental and oral surgery services.

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

7. What recent steps she has taken to increase capacity in NHS dental care.

[Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

18. What progress she has made on introducing a dentistry recovery plan.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dame Andrea Leadsom]

I am incredibly sympathetic to what the hon. Lady says. In fact, in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West integrated care board, the number of adults seen by an NHS dentist rose in the 24 months to June 2023 from 448,000 to 485,000, with a similar increase in the percentage of children seen. The situation is improving, but I completely agree with her that we need to do more, and we will be coming forward shortly with a big package of dental recovery plan reforms.

[Giles Watling]

I thank my right hon. Friend for her answer. Following my very productive meeting with her only a few days ago, will she confirm that NHS England locally has finally been unblocked and that my constituents in Clacton will soon benefit from more dentists practising on NHS patients?

[Dame Andrea Leadsom]

As my hon. Friend will know, this is a local matter, and it is for his ICB to determine whether it wishes to support the excellent pilot proposal for overseas dental students in Clacton. At the same time, it needs to ensure that its actions are compliant with current legislation and within the delegation agreement with NHS England. I have just written to my hon. Friend about that, and my letter should address his concerns, but of course I would be happy to see him again if he has any further questions.