Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of access to NHS dentistry provision for new patients; and what plans he has to ensure there are sufficient NHS dental patient places available to meet demand.

We have made no specific assessment. NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for commissioning primary dental care services to meet local need, including for new patients. Where a prospective new patient is unable to access National Health Service dentistry, NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre can provide assistance.

We continue to work closely with the NHS, Public Health England and the profession to safely increase levels of service and ensure that there are sufficient NHS dental places available to meet demand

This includes increasing access to dental services, while maintaining measures to protect staff and patients from COVID-19 infection; reviewing the current dental contract; and exploring opportunities and options for flexible dental training pathways, to develop dental care teams, improve retention and deliver safe and effective care.