Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the factors that contribute to people being unable to access NHS dentists in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.
We are continuing to meet with the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients. We want to ensure that any reform takes into account the views of dentists across England, including in Greater Manchester.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure equitable access to NHS dental services for patients living in areas with chronic shortages of NHS dentists.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, this is Mid and South Essex ICB.
Mentions:
1: Rosie Wrighting (Lab - Kettering) What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services. - Speech Link
2: Anneliese Midgley (Lab - Knowsley) What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services. - Speech Link
3: David Williams (Lab - Stoke-on-Trent North) What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services. - Speech Link
4: Melanie Onn (Lab - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services. - Speech Link
5: Alex Baker (Lab - Aldershot) What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services. - Speech Link
6: Anneliese Midgley (Lab - Knowsley) What action will the Minister take to address the shortage of NHS dentists? - Speech Link
7: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) to access NHS dental care. - Speech Link
8: Aphra Brandreth (Con - Chester South and Eddisbury) to access NHS dental care. - Speech Link
9: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) We recognise that the fundamental problem is around incentives for dentists to do NHS work. - Speech Link
Written Evidence Mar. 27 2025
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: This response highlights the urgent need for improved access to dental care to reduce unnecessary antibiotic
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department to tackle shortages of NHS dentists in Devon.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges people face in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and 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 the retention of NHS dentists.
Integrated care boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce vacancies for NHS dental staff in the South East of England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the 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 the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards across England. For the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, this is the NHS Mid and South Essex.
Integrated care boards have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry in Worsley and Eccles constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Worsley and Eccles constituency, this is the NHS Greater Manchester ICB.
ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in Leeds North West constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Leeds North West constituency, this is NHS West Yorkshire ICB.
ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
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 ensure that potential reform of the national contract for dentists considers the views of dentists practicing in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.
We are continuing to meet with the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients. We want to ensure that any reform takes into account the views of dentists across England, including in Greater Manchester.
Mentions:
1: Jerome Mayhew (Con - Broadland and Fakenham) The reason for those numerous debates is the significant problem of access to NHS dentists in particular - Speech Link
2: Jerome Mayhew (Con - Broadland and Fakenham) a dentist but who wanted to access NHS dental care in the east of England were unable to do so. - Speech Link
3: Adrian Ramsay (Green - Waveney Valley) locally and to stay within the NHS, which means meaningful contract reform to make it economic for dentists - Speech Link
4: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental - Speech Link
5: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS - Speech Link