NHS Dentists

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Thursday 5th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Alex Easton]

That is certainly one of the major issues that needs to be addressed. Shockingly and frighteningly, people are resorting to DIY dentistry because their pain is so great and they simply cannot afford treatment. No MP can sleep easily in 2026 when British people are pulling out their own teeth at home.

Our NHS system is under pressure. Why is this happening? Is the reality not that funding has not kept pace with demand or with the cost of prioritising high-quality dental care?

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

I commend the hon. Member for securing this important debate. In Amber Valley, recruitment and retention continue to be the main barriers to NHS dental access, despite £240,000 of additional funding that I have managed to secure from Derbyshire locally. Does the hon. Member agree that the Minister should set out how the new NHS dentistry contract will include concrete, funded measures to increase the workforce so that my constituency and his, and those up and down the country, will finally see a material improvement in access to NHS treatment?

[Alex Easton]

I congratulate the hon. Member on securing that funding. I totally agree with all her sentiments. Maybe you can give me a clue how to get that funding as well for Northern Ireland.