Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the potential merits of (a) amending the National Planning Policy Framework and (b) introducing regulations governing the future Infrastructure Levy to ensure that sufficient GP and dental services are provided alongside housing developments.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the Primary Care Recovery Plan, we committed to reviewing the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and planning guidance to ensure primary care infrastructure can be supported through the planning system where new development creates a need for it.
We continue to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities to ensure these commitments are met through its cross-government engagement. This will take place as part of the latest NPPF refresh as well as through negotiations on the future Infrastructure Levy, as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill has received Royal Assent.
Integrated care boards will play a key future role in partnering with Local Planning Authorities to ensure their local Infrastructure Delivery Strategies accurately capture the vision for healthcare in the area.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of NHS dentistry services for children in (a) Norwich North constituency and (b) Norfolk.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’ which sets out how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to National Health Service dental services for patients of all ages, whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices. These changes have been implemented, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022. NHS England is holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for plans for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System coming shortly.
In circumstances where a guardian or parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.
Information on the number of children who have seen a dentist or hygienist in Norwich in the last six or 12 months is not available.
Dental Statistics, published by NHS Digital, provides information on NHS dental activity in England and is available from the following link:
The table below shows that the proportion of children in Norfolk County Council who have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months (to June 2022) is almost 10% lower than the national average. Published data is not available for Norwich.
June 2021 - June 2022 | Number of Children who have visited an NHS dentist | Proportion of child population (%) |
Norfolk County Council | 62,867 | 36.5% |
England | 5,589,201 | 46.1% |
NHS England commissions community dental services to offer dental care to vulnerable patients, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, who cannot be treated in a general NHS dental practice or may be in locations that cannot access NHS dental services.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of NHS appointments for children's dentistry in (a) Norwich and (b) Norfolk; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’ which sets out how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to National Health Service dental services for patients of all ages, whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices. These changes have been implemented, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022. NHS England is holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for plans for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System coming shortly.
In circumstances where a guardian or parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.
Information on the number of children who have seen a dentist or hygienist in Norwich in the last six or 12 months is not available.
Dental Statistics, published by NHS Digital, provides information on NHS dental activity in England and is available from the following link:
The table below shows that the proportion of children in Norfolk County Council who have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months (to June 2022) is almost 10% lower than the national average. Published data is not available for Norwich.
June 2021 - June 2022 | Number of Children who have visited an NHS dentist | Proportion of child population (%) |
Norfolk County Council | 62,867 | 36.5% |
England | 5,589,201 | 46.1% |
NHS England commissions community dental services to offer dental care to vulnerable patients, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, who cannot be treated in a general NHS dental practice or may be in locations that cannot access NHS dental services.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities are able to access NHS dentistry in (a) Norwich and (b) Norfolk.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’ which sets out how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to National Health Service dental services for patients of all ages, whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices. These changes have been implemented, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022. NHS England is holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for plans for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System coming shortly.
In circumstances where a guardian or parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.
Information on the number of children who have seen a dentist or hygienist in Norwich in the last six or 12 months is not available.
Dental Statistics, published by NHS Digital, provides information on NHS dental activity in England and is available from the following link:
The table below shows that the proportion of children in Norfolk County Council who have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months (to June 2022) is almost 10% lower than the national average. Published data is not available for Norwich.
June 2021 - June 2022 | Number of Children who have visited an NHS dentist | Proportion of child population (%) |
Norfolk County Council | 62,867 | 36.5% |
England | 5,589,201 | 46.1% |
NHS England commissions community dental services to offer dental care to vulnerable patients, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, who cannot be treated in a general NHS dental practice or may be in locations that cannot access NHS dental services.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, If he will make an estimate of the number of children who have seen a (a) dentist and (b) hygienist in Norwich in the last (i) six and (ii) 12 months.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’ which sets out how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to National Health Service dental services for patients of all ages, whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices. These changes have been implemented, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022. NHS England is holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for plans for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System coming shortly.
In circumstances where a guardian or parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.
Information on the number of children who have seen a dentist or hygienist in Norwich in the last six or 12 months is not available.
Dental Statistics, published by NHS Digital, provides information on NHS dental activity in England and is available from the following link:
The table below shows that the proportion of children in Norfolk County Council who have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months (to June 2022) is almost 10% lower than the national average. Published data is not available for Norwich.
June 2021 - June 2022 | Number of Children who have visited an NHS dentist | Proportion of child population (%) |
Norfolk County Council | 62,867 | 36.5% |
England | 5,589,201 | 46.1% |
NHS England commissions community dental services to offer dental care to vulnerable patients, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, who cannot be treated in a general NHS dental practice or may be in locations that cannot access NHS dental services.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of orthodontic appointments for children in Norwich.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
NHS England is responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population. Many of the dentistry commissioning functions undertaken by NHS England will transfer to integrated care boards (ICBs) from April 2023. ICBs will be responsible for meeting the needs of their local populations of all ages, working with patient groups. NHS England has made available to commissioners an Assurance Framework to provide assurances on commissioning.
In circumstances where a person or parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a National Health Service dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which dental practices which have NHS patient availability are updating the NHS Find a Dentist webpage to show this; and whether he plans to take further steps to encourage practices to update those listings.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
On 25 November 2022 we introduced a contractual responsibility for National Health Service dentists to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. Practices are required to update their NHS.UK profiles at least once every 90 days, including information on whether they are accepting new patients.
Commissioners will have access to a report showing which practices are non-compliant, with monitoring due to come into effect from end of March 2023.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the level of the Minimum Income Guarantee on (a) disabled people and (b) local authority budgets.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The minimum income guarantee (MIG) rates are reviewed annually, with a review of the rates for the next financial year currently ongoing. Following the last review, the MIG was increased in line with inflation from 6 April 2022. The rates for 23-24 will be published in a Local Authority Circular.
There has been no specific discussion with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the MIG on the living standards and quality of life of disabled people, and no specific assessment has been made of the impact of the level of the MIG on disabled people and local authority budgets.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussion with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the Minimum Income Guarantee on the living standards and quality of life of disabled people.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The minimum income guarantee (MIG) rates are reviewed annually, with a review of the rates for the next financial year currently ongoing. Following the last review, the MIG was increased in line with inflation from 6 April 2022. The rates for 23-24 will be published in a Local Authority Circular.
There has been no specific discussion with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the MIG on the living standards and quality of life of disabled people, and no specific assessment has been made of the impact of the level of the MIG on disabled people and local authority budgets.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the Minimum Income Guarantee rates for 2023-24; and whether he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The minimum income guarantee (MIG) rates are reviewed annually, with a review of the rates for the next financial year currently ongoing. Following the last review, the MIG was increased in line with inflation from 6 April 2022. The rates for 23-24 will be published in a Local Authority Circular.
There has been no specific discussion with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the MIG on the living standards and quality of life of disabled people, and no specific assessment has been made of the impact of the level of the MIG on disabled people and local authority budgets.