Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS community dental services for people with disabilities.

We are committed to ensuring National Health Service dental services are available to all who need them. The January 2025 Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) report on community dental services (CDS) highlighted several known challenges in the operation and monitoring of CDS. NHS England and the Department have taken the recommendations on board and are working to improve the data reporting process to increase oversight of CDS activity, including current waiting lists and performance reporting.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for undertaking special care oral health needs assessments, to identify areas of oral health need, to inform local commissioning intentions, and determine the local priorities for investment.

On 5 October 2024, NHS England announced a new dental check-up service for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The dental check-ups will be offered to all special residential schools and colleges across England from next year and will reach around 18,000 children and young people. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2024/10/nhs-rolls-out-free-eyesight-hearing-and-dental-checks-for-children-at-residential-special-schools/