Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

NHS Dentistry Services: Carshalton and Wallington

07 September 2022 · 0 other contributors · 2,698 words

Opened by Elliot Colburn Con Carshalton and Wallington

Responding minister: James Morris

NHS

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Elliot Colburn raised concerns about nhs dentistry services: carshalton and wallington in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Elliot Colburn raised concerns about difficulties constituents face in accessing NHS dental services, citing high failure rates for appointments and lack of new patient registrations.
  • Colburn cited statistics indicating 25% of people failed to get an NHS dental appointment, with new patients facing a 75% failure rate.
  • The minister acknowledged the impact of the pandemic on dental services and noted an additional 50 million secured for NHS dental services in early 2022.

Key requests to Government

Colburn asks the Government to outline further steps they can take to address systemic issues affecting NHS dentistry, especially in light of ongoing challenges from the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. He also seeks reassurance that reforms will go beyond minor improvements to fundamentally overhaul the current system.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Elliot Colburn Con Carshalton and Wallington

Elliot Colburn is concerned about the difficulties constituents face in accessing NHS dental services. He highlights four main categories of concern: overall access to NHS dentistry, long waiting lists for registration, removal of patients from the register due to lack of use since the first covid-19 restrictions, and high costs for private dental healthcare. Statistics show that 25% of people who tried to get an NHS appointment did not succeed, with new patients facing a failure rate close to 75%. Colburn also cites reports indicating seven out of 42 integrated care systems had no practices taking on new NHS patients.

Government Response

James Morris

It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship. I congratulate Elliot Colburn on securing this debate, recognising the challenges of NHS dentistry. The government acknowledges the impact of the pandemic on dental services but has taken steps to improve access and make the profession more attractive. An additional £50 million was secured for NHS dental services in early 2022, resulting in over two thirds of treatments being urgent care with more than 64,000 patients seen through this funding. The minister announced a package of measures including reforms to the 2006 NHS dental contract and enabling practices to better utilise all team members, which will free up capacity for higher need patients. Practices will also adhere to NICE guidelines on recall intervals, increasing access to care. Further measures include improved patient information through NHS website updates and addressing workforce issues with Health Education England's programme. The government is working to improve recruitment of international dentists by expanding registration options and facilitating their vital contribution to the workforce. These reforms are a first step in long-term changes necessary for improving access to urgent dental care.

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