Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to increase access to NHS dentists in (a) Lowestoft and (b) Beccles.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and retention of NHS dentists.

The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board has been working with 23 dental practices to introduce a new Urgent Treatment Service, which is now treating 1,800 people per month, and will be investing in Child Focused Dental Practices to offer treatment to vulnerable children and young people.