Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that elderly and vulnerable people can access urgent dental and GP appointments during the winter months.

General practice continues its vital role in supporting high-risk patients with ongoing care needs, including those who have been in the ‘shielding’ cohort, those who may need to shield in future, care home residents and those needing COVID-19 aftercare and support.

NHS England and NHS Improvement guidance on COVID-19 states that all general practitioner practices must offer face-to-face appointments at their surgeries as well as using remote triage and video, online and telephone consultation wherever appropriate – whilst also considering those who are unable to access or engage with digital services.

Practices continue to undertake routine and preventative work including vaccinations and immunisations and screening, as well as supporting their more high-risk patients with ongoing care needs.

National Health Service high street dental services are able to offer face-to-face care and there are currently no plans to restrict NHS dental provision during the winter months. NHS England and NHS Improvement issued guidance setting out the priority order in which patients should be seen – focused on urgent treatment, particularly vulnerable groups and then routine care which is overdue.