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Oral Health and Dentistry: England
25 May 2021
Lead MP
Mohammad Yasin
Bedford
Lab
Responding Minister
Jo Churchill
Tags
NHSWomen & Equalities
Word Count: 14201
Other Contributors: 8
At a Glance
Mohammad Yasin raised concerns about oral health and dentistry: england in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government needs to reform the Units of Dental Activity (UDA) system which disincentivizes dentists from taking on new NHS patients. The Minister should also explain why England took a different approach compared to Wales and Northern Ireland in setting post-pandemic activity targets for dentists.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
NHS dentistry in England is in crisis with severe access issues, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women. The system suffered from chronic underfunding before the pandemic, leading to a backlog of 30 million missed appointments. Inequalities have widened during the lockdown period, with low-income and ethnic minority communities being disproportionately affected.
Alex Norris
Lab Co-op
Nottingham North
Alex Norris highlighted the challenges faced by dentistry during the pandemic, including contract reform and financial issues. He noted that two in three adults have visible plaque, almost one in three have tooth decay, and over 8,300 new cases of mouth cancer are reported annually. Norris expressed disappointment with the Government's lack of data on how many practices met the activity targets and their failure to negotiate a workable deal with dentists, leading to significant anxiety among dental professionals.
Bob Seely
Con
Isle of Wight
Mr Seely highlighted the challenges Islanders face in accessing NHS dentists, noting difficulties such as lack of availability and inconvenience caused by having to travel to the mainland. He cited Healthwatch England's report that 70% of people find it difficult to access an NHS dentist, with 85% of dental practices closed to new patients. Mr Seely expressed concern about long-term health issues due to insufficient dental care, including potential increases in cancer cases and heart disease. He also mentioned workforce challenges such as dentists leaving the NHS for private practice and a shortage of newly qualified dentists.
Clive Lewis
Lab
Norwich South
He stated that the chronic underfunding of NHS England dental services has led to a situation where many constituents face insurmountable barriers in accessing basic healthcare, with extreme delays and prohibitive treatment costs. He highlighted specific cases of delayed or cancelled appointments and unaffordable private treatments. Healthwatch England reported four in five people struggling to access timely care, with 61% finding treatment too expensive. The British Dental Association noted that NHS general dental practice is operating on a lower budget than in 2010, leading to more dentists planning to stop providing NHS services or retiring early.
Fleur Anderson
Lab
Putney
Ms Anderson highlighted the ongoing crisis in UK dentistry, citing a survey indicating that nearly half of dentists are considering career changes or early retirement due to the pandemic. She noted a 1,253 decrease in practices providing NHS dentistry and an 85% closure rate for new NHS patients, affecting lower-income individuals most severely. Anderson urged the Government to act on prevention measures, improve recruitment from overseas dental schools, and address funding disparities between England and Wales.
Judith Cummins
Lab
Bradford South
Ms Cummins discussed the urgent need for reform in NHS dentistry, highlighting issues such as chronic underfunding and the failure of the dental contract. She mentioned that 30 million NHS dental appointments have been lost since the start of the pandemic and warned of an impending exodus of dentists due to extreme pressures from unrealistic activity targets.
Navendu Mishra
Lab
Stockport
Mr Mishra thanked dentists and staff for their work during the pandemic, noting a significant rise in dental calls and complaints. He highlighted that some people had to wait up to three years for an appointment, with 22% of Stockport's under-five-year-olds experiencing tooth decay. In one year, 300 children in Stockport underwent tooth extraction under general anaesthesia due to decay. Mr Mishra called for meaningful dental contract reform to expand access to NHS dentists and prioritise preventive measures like supervised brushing programmes.
Paul Beresford
Con
Mole Valley
Mr Beresford, a practising dentist, highlighted the improvements in dental services' status and the impact of COVID-19 on waiting lists. He mentioned 23,529 children aged five to nine admitted to hospital due to tooth decay pre-pandemic and advocated for water fluoridation as a preventive measure.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Describes the dental crisis in York, highlighting that constituents face long waits for NHS treatment and are turning to accident and emergency services. Criticizes the current NHS dental contract as unethical and highlights a need for a national dental service under NHS terms.
Government Response
Jo Churchill
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship, Ms Bardell. I congratulate the hon. Member for Bedford on securing this important debate. The minister acknowledged that dentistry was an incredibly challenging area before and during the pandemic. She thanked all members of the dental profession for their continued resilience and dedication in providing care under extremely difficult circumstances. She highlighted the significant impact of aerosol-generating procedures, which made infection control a central issue. With regard to ventilation, she mentioned practical financial and timing challenges but stated that NHS England has been assessing these areas with the dental profession. The minister also addressed concerns about thresholds for delivery, stating that they were based on data and modelling. She reported that approximately 95% of practices exceeded the threshold for full remuneration in March and that new thresholds of 60% for dental activity and 80% for orthodontic activity between April and September have been set to provide stability while monitoring monthly levels of NHS care being delivered.
The minister also discussed ongoing efforts to improve access, including flexible commissioning targeting vulnerable groups experiencing health inequality. She highlighted the continuation of support for NHS practices through payment and provision of free PPE during the pandemic. Additionally, she emphasized the need for contract reform and transformation in dentistry to address inequalities, particularly in children's oral health. The minister mentioned working on water fluoridation as a quick return investment strategy and noted the importance of prevention and high-quality care.
She stated that NHS dental practices will be asked to update their information online to ensure patient accessibility to local services. Finally, she expressed her commitment to working with the profession regularly and ensuring patients can access NHS dentistry.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.