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 the potential impact on waiting for an NHS dental appointment for (a) people in wheelchairs and (b) able- bodied people.

No specific assessment has been made on the impact of waiting for a National Health Service dental appointment for people in wheelchairs or able-bodied people. The Government is committed to NHS dental services being available for all who need them. We recognise that certain groups of patients may be vulnerable to oral health problems, and may find it more difficult to access dental care.

We are tackling the challenges for all patients trying to access NHS dental appointments with a rescue plan providing 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and by recruiting new dentists to the areas that need them most.

Many high street dental practices are wheelchair-accessible and patients can contact local practices directly to inquire about their facilities. If patients in wheelchairs have difficultly locating a high street dentist that caters to their specific accessibility requirements, community dental services provide specialised dental services to people with additional needs. Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.