Draft Dentists, Dental Care Professionals, Nurses, Nursing Associates and Midwives (International Registrations) Order 2022

John McDonnell Excerpts

Tuesday 6th December 2022 General Committees

[John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab)]

I have a simple question for the Minister. We have received a number of representations, and it is important to acknowledge the consultation that has taken place. Page 6 of the explanatory memorandum states:

“The Department received 1634 responses to the consultation from individuals and organisations…Over 70% of responses to the consultation were from dental care professionals.”

It goes on:

“Many respondents were supportive of improvements being made to the regulators’ international registration processes”.

It does not say “most”. What was the balance between supportive and oppositional responses to the proposals that the Government have taken forward? It would be helpful to know how many of the representations the Government have taken into account.

[Will Quince]

I take your instruction on the passing of notes, Mr Bone; it will not happen again.

Let me answer a number of the points made by the hon. Member for Enfield North, starting with dentistry more generally. Our aim is to ensure that everyone has timely access to NHS dentistry and that dentistry is an appealing career choice. In too many parts of our country, people do not have access to a dentist in the way that they should. In July this year, we announced a package of improvements designed specifically to increase access to dental services across England. That includes better remuneration, guidance on how patients should expect to attend for check-ups, and measures that enable dentists to make better use of staff in their dental teams. Of course, training has to be part of that. Health Education England undertook a three-year review of education and training as part of its 2021 “Advancing Dental Care” review. It is now implementing its four-year dental education review programme to improve recruitment and retention.

The hon. Member for Enfield North rightly raised internationally trained staff, who have been part of our NHS since its inception and continue to play a vital role. We are doing everything we can to invest in growing our domestic workforce and move towards a more sustainable domestic supply. We are training more, retaining more and encouraging staff who have left to return. Having said that, ethical international recruitment remains a key element of achieving our workforce commitments. As the hon. Lady will know, we have recently recommitted to publishing our NHS long-term plan, which is a commission for NHS England. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the autumn statement, it will be independently verified.

The hon. Member for Coventry North West asked about the performers list. Although it is not directly relevant, Mr Bone, perhaps you will indulge me for one moment, so that I can explain what we are doing. The Department is currently reviewing the National Health Service (Performers Lists) (England) Regulations 2013—that is, the route by which a dentist can become registered to undertake NHS services—to identify where regulatory requirements could be streamlined and simplified while maintaining the high professional standards that ensure patient safety. Any proposed legislative changes will be subject to consultation.

I think the question raised by the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington follows a number of emails that we received overnight. These related to the essence of this statutory instrument, which is about closing a loophole. I understand why people are exercised about that. I do not know the exact figures from the consultation, but it is on that exact point where we expect there will have been a higher percentage that we disagreed with, but I am happy to write to the right hon. Member and the Committee with the exact percentages of people who responded in a particular way. On that one point, I will go into detail because, although we recognise the opposition to that proposal, we intend to take forward this amendment in the interests of patient safety.

[John McDonnell]

Will the Minister write to us, with regard to not that specific proposal, but the generality? If we could receive a breakdown on that, that would be really useful. Can he say at this stage—sometimes, inspiration does come via notes—whether the majority were in favour or opposed?

[Will Quince]

My understanding is that, on this particular point around dental care professional registration with the GDC, the majority were opposed. That is the one major point where we disagreed with the consultation response.

If it is helpful to the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington, I will explain why. The change introduces fairness and consistency between UK and international routes because UK dentists cannot qualify or apply to join the DCP register using their dentistry qualification in other countries. I make clear that international dentists already registered as DCPs with the GDC will still be able to maintain their registration following these changes, but the amendment will allow the GDC to process applications from dentists to join the register as DCPs that are received until this order comes into force, which is likely to be in the spring. It guarantees that any live DCP title applications—I suspect those are the driver of some of the emails we received last night—submitted before the legislation has passed will still be processed.

Although we recognise that the majority of respondents to the consultation disagreed with the proposals and many argued that international dentists are already qualified, or have enough clinical experience, to work as a DCP, others also highlighted that in some cases overseas qualified dentists work as dental care professionals outside the UK, and in many countries there is not a separate job title for dental care professionals.

However, in the UK the GDC recognises dentists and DCPs as distinct professions; they undertake similar but different tasks. I understand from the GDC that the majority of such applications from international dentists are, in any event, unsuccessful. This reinforces that one of the GDC’s priorities must be on ensuring that only suitably qualified people join the profession here in the UK, in the interest of patient safety.

I hope that my answers to those questions—notwithstanding the exact point on the numbers and percentages of people that objected on particular points, which I will write to the Committee about—will provide sufficient reassurance. The order promotes flexibility for the General Dental Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council as independent statutory regulators to fulfil their duties in developing and maintaining robust and proportionate international registration processes. I commend the order to the Committee.

Question put and agreed to.