Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Dental Services

Tuesday 23 February 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister committed to supporting NHS dental services through the pandemic.
  • NHS dental practices receive full funding minus agreed deductions for the first three quarters.
  • Financial penalties and activity targets are part of the government's approach to dental services.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John McNally SNP
NHS
Context

The question arises from concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental services and funding.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support dental services during the covid-19 pandemic. I am concerned about the financial penalties for not meeting unrealistic activity targets, which may push dentists towards quick check-ups rather than handling more complex cases. The British Dental Association has raised concerns about this issue.

Answer from Jo Churchill (Minister for Patient Safety, Transformation and Efficiency)

We are committed to supporting all NHS dental services through the pandemic. NHS practices receive full funding for the first three quarters of the year, minus agreed deductions in England, and NHS dental contractors will continue to be supported while they meet reduced activity targets. The activity target is expected to increase availability for patients based on careful modelling and takes into account guidance on infection prevention and control and social distancing measures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about financial penalties and reforms to the dental contract, but the answer did not directly address these specific concerns. Instead, it focused more broadly on support during the pandemic without concrete steps or timelines for reforming the contract.

How: As Anybody Will Know, I Have Been Heavily Engaged With The Dental Profession Over Recent Months, Because I Agree That A Preventive Approach To Dentistry Is Certainly One That We Need To Be Moving Towards.

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Q2 John McNally SNP
NHS
Context

Concerns have been raised by the British Dental Association about punitive financial penalties and unrealistic activity targets that may push dentists to prioritize quick check-ups over complex cases, affecting service recovery.

Question

The British Dental Association has raised concerns that punitive financial penalties for not meeting the Government's unrealistic activity targets are pushing NHS dentists in England to prioritise quick check-ups rather than catching up on the backlog of more time-consuming symptomatic cases. Will the Minister consider a more realistic approach to service recovery and commit to reforming the dental contract in England so as to promote preventive dental care in future?

Answer from Jo Churchill (Minister for Patient Safety, Transformation and Efficiency)

As anybody will know, I have been heavily engaged with the dental profession over recent months, because I agree that a preventive approach to dentistry is certainly one that we need to be moving towards. The activity target is based on careful modelling and takes into account guidance on infection prevention and control and social distancing measures. We recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances, which is why there are exceptions to the target level.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about a more realistic approach to service recovery and reforms to promote preventive care, but the answer did not provide specific steps or commitments towards these goals. It focused on engagement with the dental profession without addressing punitive financial penalties directly.

How: We Recognise That There May Be Exceptional Circumstances, Which Is Why There Are Exceptions To The Target Level.

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