Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of dentists in Gateshead who (a) treat NHS patients and (b) have left the NHS to work in private practice since March 2020; and what the average size of dentist patient lists are in Gateshead for (i) NHS and (ii) private patients for which the latest figures are available.

This information is not held in the format requested as data on the number of dentists treating National Health Service patients is collected at national, regional and clinical commissioning group level. Patients are registered with a dental practice for the duration of their treatment and do not routinely join dental waiting lists.