Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring undergraduate dental students are able to gain experience in local practises.

It is for each dental school to set its own undergraduate dental curriculum, which must meet the standards set by the General Dental Council (GDC) that require students to demonstrate a particular range of learning outcomes when they have completed their programme of studies. It would be for each dental school to consider the merits of training in local practices and hospital settings.

From 1 September 2022, the Government introduced the undergraduate dental tariff, to ensure that clinical placement providers are reimbursed consistently for the training placements they provide, that placements are high quality, and ensure that learners develop the required skills and knowledge to meet their professional competencies.