Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Dyke Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd October 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. We will look at the relevant material.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

Q13. Many in Glastonbury and Somerton are forced to travel hundreds of miles to see an NHS dentist or suffer in agony, fall into debt to pay for private treatment or turn to DIY dentistry, like Jennifer, who extracted two of her teeth over the weekend. They simply cannot wait for the consultation on the broken NHS contract; they deserve immediate action. Will the Prime Minister outline what measures he is taking to end the dental desert in Somerset for good?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the hon. Member for raising that. Added to the list of shocking things the last Government left us is the shocking state of NHS dentistry—broken, like everything else under the last Government. We are rolling out extra urgent care appointments. In Somerset, the integrated care board is expected to deliver over 13,000 extra dental appointments this year; I will give her more details in due course. We are also reforming the dental contract, which will shift focus on to retaining NHS dentists.