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 adequacy of the provision of NHS dental care in (a) the Borough of Bolton and (b) Bolton South East constituency.

No recent formal assessment has been made. Between April and June 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked all practices, including those in Bolton, to deliver at least 95% of contracted units of dental activity to improve access for patients safely.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, to improve the National Health Service dental system. Negotiations are currently underway on initial measures to improve access to NHS dentistry, including in Bolton.