Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

NHS Dental Contracting Framework

Tuesday 23 July 2024 · 8 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Secretary of State welcomed the MP's questions and committed to meeting with the British Dental Association for contract reform.
  • The Secretary acknowledged the University of East Anglia's proposal for a new dental school and expressed willingness to work with partners to address Norfolk's poor dentistry coverage.
  • The Secretary committed to providing 700,000 additional urgent appointments and recruiting dentists where needed to ensure local availability of urgent dental services.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Pearce Lab High Peak
NHS
Context

The MP notes ongoing issues with NHS dentistry and unmet needs.

Question

What assessment has the Department made of the effectiveness of the NHS dental contracting framework? The MP highlights that 13 million people have unmet need for NHS dentistry, or 28% of the country. He mentions that rotting teeth are the most common reason for children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital.

Answer from Wes Streeting

The Secretary of State welcomed his appointment and noted the poor state of NHS dentistry due to a 14-year Conservative inheritance. He pledged to meet with the British Dental Association for contract reform and committed to working across sectors to rebuild NHS dentistry.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The assessment of effectiveness is not provided, only general statements about needing reform.

How: Under Review

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Q2 Alice Macdonald Labour (Co-op) Norwich North
Education
Context

The MP addresses the lack of dental training facilities in Norfolk.

Question

Will the Secretary of State meet to discuss the University of East Anglia's proposal for a new dental school? The east of England has only 36 dentists per 100,000 people compared with the national average of 53, making it a dental desert.

Answer from Wes Streeting

The Secretary acknowledged Norfolk's poor dentistry coverage and expressed willingness to work with partners. He also stated awareness of the University of East Anglia's proposals and welcomed a meeting.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific timeline or commitment for a meeting was given.

How: Under Review

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Q3 Lewis Atkinson Lab Sunderland Central
NHS
Context

The MP discusses the lack of urgent dental care in Sunderland.

Question

What steps is the Secretary taking to ensure that urgent dental services are available locally, such as 700,000 additional appointments and recruiting dentists where they are needed?

Answer from Wes Streeting

The Secretary welcomed the MP's advocacy in Sunderland Central. He committed to providing 700,000 additional urgent appointments and recruiting dentists where needed.

Answered
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Q4 Jonathan Pearce Lab High Peak
NHS
Context

The MP highlights High Peak's dental desert status and the distress it causes.

Question

What steps will be taken to cure NHS dentistry after 14 years of Conservative rule? The MP mentions practices receiving as many registration calls as appointment requests, causing distress for elderly patients unable to eat due to needing dentures sorted.

Answer from Wes Streeting

The Secretary acknowledged 14 years of challenges and committed to starting with 700,000 urgent appointments and contract reform. He pledged involvement of communities like High Peak.

Answered
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Q5 Harriett Baldwin Con West Worcestershire
NHS
Context

The MP asks about the NHS dental recovery plan's impact in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Question

How much has the NHS dental recovery plan increased appointments in the Worcestershire and Herefordshire integrated care board area? The Conservative party praised this plan during the general election.

Answer from Wes Streeting

The Secretary stated that while some aspects of the previous Government's dental recovery plan will be continued, contract reform essential for changes. He dismissed gimmicks and praised 700,000 urgent appointments.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific increase in appointments was provided.

How: Under Review

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Q6 Layla Moran Lib Dem Oxford West and Abingdon
NHS
Context

The MP raises concern about the British Dental Association's fear that an NHS review will delay dental changes.

Question

What timeline exists for seeing change in NHS dentistry? The MP mentions a constituent suffering from painful abscesses and sleepless nights. Lord Darzi is conducting an NHS review set to report in September.

Answer from Wes Streeting

The Secretary acknowledged the detrimental impact of Conservative rule and expressed willingness to address urgent dental needs, including 700,000 additional appointments. He welcomed Lord Darzi's review while stressing immediate action.

Answered
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Q7 Joe Robertson Con Isle of Wight East
NHS
Context

There is a particular shortage of NHS dentists in coastal and rural communities like the Isle of Wight. The previous Government's plan for 240 'golden hellos' for newly qualified dentists aimed to address this issue by the end of the year.

Question

As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, there is a particular shortage of NHS dentists in coastal and rural communities such as mine on the Isle of Wight. Will he therefore commit to the previous Government's plan for 240 golden hellos for newly qualified dentists by the end of the year to address that issue?

Answer from Wes Streeting

I welcome the hon. Member to the House. He is absolutely right to touch on the workforce issues in NHS dentistry, and we need to incentivise dentists, on two fronts: we need them to commit to and do more work in the NHS—we are looking at a range of things in that regard—and we need to ensure that we get more dentists to the areas in which they are most needed. We will certainly support incentives to that effect.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to 240 'golden hellos' for newly qualified dentists by the end of the year

How: We Are Looking At A Range Of Things In That Regard

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Q8 Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East
NHS
Context

The previous Government's shadow Secretary of State announced a dental recovery plan including new dental vans to provide access to care for rural communities and coastal areas in England. The first vans were expected to be on the road by autumn.

Question

I welcome the right hon. Member and his new team to their places in the Department. The shadow Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria Atkins), prioritised access to care, including NHS dentistry, when she was Secretary of State. The dental recovery plan that she launched announced new dental vans to provide access to care to our most rural communities and coastal communities in England. We had agreed with NHS England that the first vans would be on the road by this autumn, and I know that that timescale was welcomed by colleagues across the House. Will he confirm that dental vans will be on the road by this autumn?

Answer from Wes Streeting

I could not have picked a better example of the previous Government's desperately low ceiling of ambition than the fact that, after 14 years, they laud their triumph of dental vans roaming the country in the absence of actual dentists and dental surgeries. What an absolute disgrace. I accept that the shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was just the last in a very long list of Health and Social Care Secretaries who had the chance to fix the problems. It was not all on her, and it is important that I say that—not least because of the Conservative leadership election that will be taking place soon.

How: Criticising The Previous Government, Comparing To Long List Of Secretaries

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