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 impact of the Neighbourhood Health Service on dental services in rural constituencies.

On 3 July 2025, the Government announced the 10-Year Health Plan and set out its vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service set up in local communities across the country, to improve access to National Health Services, including NHS dental services.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. We will be clear on the outcomes we expect, and will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need.

Our priority will be to address underperformance and health inequalities in the areas with the worst health outcomes, such as rural and coastal communities, where we know access to healthcare services is often particularly poor.