Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry services in (a) Barnsley East constituency and (b) the UK.

In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care in England, including in Barnsley East.

On 25 November 2022, the Department introduced legislation to amend the National Health Service dental contract to more fairly remunerate dentists for complex treatments and improve access for patients. NHS dentists are also required to update practice profiles at NHS.UK more frequently to ensure patients have accurate information on accessing care. We are working with the sector and NHS England on further improvements to increase patient access and reduce health inequalities.