Health and Social Care

Steve Barclay Excerpts

Wednesday 12th July 2023 Ministerial Corrections

[Holly Mumby-Croft (Scunthorpe) (Con)]

We have a superb new accident and emergency in Scunthorpe, and we are pressing ahead with plans for a large, state-of-the-art community diagnostic centre. I have lived locally all my life, and those are some of the most significant upgrades we have seen in a generation. But there are things to do—we certainly need more NHS dentists. Would the Secretary of State consider a tie-in so that newly qualified dentists spend a minimum percentage of their time delivering NHS care?

[Steve Barclay]

I am pleased to see those services going into Scunthorpe. That underscores the investment we are making now while preparing for the long term, through the largest ever expansion in workforce training in the NHS’s history. My hon. Friend is right about the importance of tie-ins. Let me explain why that matters in particular for dentists: around two thirds of dentists do not go on to do NHS work. That is why the plan has looked at tie-ins for dentistry, which we will explore in the weeks and months ahead.

[Official Report, 3 July 2023, Vol. 735, c. 580.]

Letter of correction from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the right hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Steve Barclay):

An error has been identified in my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Holly Mumby-Croft).

The correct response should have been:

[Steve Barclay]

I am pleased to see those services going into Scunthorpe. That underscores the investment we are making now while preparing for the long term, through the largest ever expansion in workforce training in the NHS’s history. My hon. Friend is right about the importance of tie-ins. Let me explain why that matters in particular for dentists: around one third of dentists do not do NHS work. That is why the plan has looked at tie-ins for dentistry, which we will explore in the weeks and months ahead.

Topical Questions

The following is an extract from Health and Social Care topical questions on 11 July 2023.

[Steve Brine (Winchester) (Con)]

Back to NHS dentistry, I am afraid. Later this week, the Select Committee will publish its report on NHS dentistry services. Spoiler alert: it will be uncomfortable reading for some. Will the Secretary of State tell us when and how he plans to bring forward plans for the tie-in of newly qualified dentists? Could that go hand in hand with a “return to the NHS” campaign for dentists who have already left that part of the service?

[Steve Barclay]

It is characteristically astute of my hon. Friend to zero in on the tie-in, which is an important part of the long-term workforce plan. Around two thirds of dentists do not go into NHS work after training, so having a tie-in is more pertinent there than it might be elsewhere in the NHS workforce.

[Official Report, 11 July 2023, Vol. 736, c. 174.]

Letter of correction from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the right hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Steve Barclay):

An error has been identified in my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Winchester (Steve Brine).

The correct response should have been:

[Steve Barclay]

It is characteristically astute of my hon. Friend to zero in on the tie-in, which is an important part of the long-term workforce plan. Around one third of dentists do not do NHS work, so having a tie-in is more pertinent there than it might be elsewhere in the NHS workforce.