Mentions:
1: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) My Lords, we are tackling the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care by providing 700,000 - Speech Link
2: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) improve access to treatments for NHS dental patients. - Speech Link
3: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) access and incentivising the workforce to deliver more NHS care. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) not incentivise dentists to do NHS work. - Speech Link
2: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) not incentivise dentists to do NHS work. - Speech Link
3: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) will make the difficult decisions necessary to restore NHS dentistry to ensure that patients can access - Speech Link
4: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) access and incentivise the workforce to deliver more NHS care.I am pleased that work to improve access - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Siân Gwenllian (Plaid Cymru - None) to NHS care, those who want to access NHS care, but are unable to do so, and, therefore, opt to go private - Speech Link
2: Llyr Gruffydd (Plaid Cymru - None) are willing to allow dentists to operate NHS contracts for under-18s. - Speech Link
3: Darren Millar (Welsh Conservative Party - None) get access to the dentists that they need to see. - Speech Link
4: Jeremy Miles (Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party - None) lack of access to dentists. - Speech Link
5: None lack of access to dentists. - Speech Link
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of the processes in place for dentists from overseas who wish to set up in (a) private practice and (b) the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentistry in the United Kingdom. Only dentists and dental care professionals registered with the GDC can legally practise dentistry, both within the National Health Service and privately, in the UK. Routes to registration as a dentist in the UK are set out in the GDC’s legislation, The Dentists Act 1984. In 2023, the Department introduced legislative changes to give the GDC greater flexibility to expand and improve its registration processes for overseas-qualified dentists.
In 2024, the Department consulted on introducing legislation that would give the GDC powers to provisionally register overseas-qualified dentists. Individuals holding provisional registration would be able to work as a dentist under supervision whilst seeking to demonstrate the required knowledge and skill for full registration. Our position on this proposal will be set out in due course.
To work under an NHS primary care dental services contract, a dentist must join the NHS Dental Performers List (DPL). All dentists wishing to join the DPL in England must show they have either completed UK Dental Foundation Training or demonstrate equivalence to foundation training via the competence assessment route. In 2023, the competence assessment route was streamlined, enabling individuals to practise NHS dentistry more quickly by providing for applicants’ specific clinical knowledge and skills to be assessed, and for more tailored support to be put in place. Dentists providing private treatment are not required to be on the DPL.
The Government plans to expand access to NHS 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, the Government plans to reform the dental contract with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to increase the number of NHS dentists in Kent.
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 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 (ICBs) across England. For the Kent constituency, this is the NHS Kent and Medway 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: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 help increase access to dentists in areas with fewer dentists than the national average.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced 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 the 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.
The additional 700,000 appointments will be available across the country, with specific targets for each region. These targets are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The methodology is set out in Annex A of a letter issued by NHS England to ICBs. The letter and Annex can be found here: NHS England » Arrangements for NHS urgent primary dental care during 2025/26 and confirmation of the closure of the New Patient Premium scheme”
ICBs 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. As of 10 February 2025, in England, 35 dentists have commenced in post and a further 33 dentists have been recruited but are yet to start in post. A further 249 posts are currently advertised.
Mentions:
1: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) dentists to posts that they have previously struggled to fill. - Speech Link
Written Evidence Feb. 13 2025
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: There is significant regional variation in access to NHS dental care.
Feb. 21 2025
Source Page: Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointmentsFound: Access to NHS dentistry is increasingly a lottery across the country.
Feb. 21 2025
Source Page: Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointmentsFound: Access to NHS dentistry is increasingly a lottery across the country.