Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Dental Training Places: East of England

Tuesday 19 November 2024 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Fourteen years of Conservative neglect and incompetence have left huge swathes of the east of England as dental deserts.
  • UEA has not yet submitted its bid for a dental school.
  • Government plans to reform the dental contract to increase access to NHS dental care.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
NHS
Context

There is a lack of dental trainees in the east of England, leading to difficulties for people finding NHS dentists. The nearest undergraduate training facility is in Birmingham or London.

Question

What estimate has been made of the number of new dental training places needed in the east of England?

Answer from Stephen Kinnock

Fourteen years of Conservative neglect and incompetence have left huge swathes of the east of England as dental deserts. As part of our 10-year plan, we will be working with NHS England to assess the need for more dental trainees in areas such as the east of England where many people are struggling to find an NHS dentist.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific estimate or number of new dental training places needed in the region

How: Fourteen Years Of Conservative Neglect And Incompetence Have Left Huge Swathes Of The East Of England As Dental Deserts.

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Q2 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Education
Context

The nearest undergraduate training facility is in Birmingham or London, while the University of East Anglia plans to open a new dental school which has cross-party support and is ready with a building under construction.

Question

When will the announcement be made regarding the progress on the University of East Anglia's bid for a new dental school?

Answer from Stephen Kinnock

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that follow-up question, but he will recall that, when we met, I and my officials made it clear to him that the UEA has not yet submitted its bid for a dental school. In that meeting, we said: “Please go back to the UEA and encourage them to submit that bid. When they do, we will look at it very carefully.”

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline or commitment for an announcement on the status of the UEA's dental school bid.

How: Please Go Back To The Uea And Encourage Them To Submit That Bid. When They Do, We Will Look At It Very Carefully.

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Q3 Mohammad Yasin Lab Bedford
NHS
Context

Many constituents in Bedford struggle to find an NHS dentist, and some have been removed from the NHS list without prior notice.

Question

Will the Government ensure that dentists cannot drop patients from their books without warning?

Answer from Stephen Kinnock

My hon. Friend is right: we will reform the dental contract to rebuild dentistry in the long term and to increase access to NHS dental care, with a shift to focusing on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. We continue to meet representatives from the British Dental Association and other representatives of the sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific commitment or timeline regarding providing prior notice before removing patients from NHS lists.

How: We Continue To Meet Representatives From The British Dental Association And Other Representatives Of The Sector To Discuss How We Can Best Deliver Our Shared Ambition To Improve Access For Nhs Dental Patients.

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