Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in response to the report by the Faculty of Dental Services of the Royal College of Surgeons A resumption of dental services?, published on 2 October.

The Department welcomes the report by the Faculty of Dental Service of the Royal College of Surgeons. The main recommendations in the report are in line with actions that have already been taken.

National Health Service dental services will remain open and offering face to face care during this new period of increased restrictions. This is in line with the wider drive to ensure as much healthcare as possible remains available during this period.

A dedicated personal protective equipment (PPE) portal has been developed to deliver PPE, needed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, free of charge to providers of NHS services, including NHS dental contractors. As of 4 November, over 5,100 NHS dental and orthodontic providers in England have registered with the PPE portal and over 36 million items have been delivered.