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 ensure that every child has access to an NHS dentist in line with NICE guidelines; what estimate has been made of the number of children (a) in the Brighton and Hove CCG area and (b) nationally who have not been to see an NHS dentist in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Data on the number of children in Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group unable to see a National Health Service dentist in the last 12 months is not held centrally.

NHS dental practices, including in Brighton and Hove, have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as is safely possible. They are prioritising urgent care, care for vulnerable groups and children, followed by delayed planned care. An additional £50 million for NHS dentistry has been made available for the remainder of 2021/22 to allow more patients who have been unable to obtain an appointment. The available appointments will be targeted first at those most in need of urgent dental treatment, vulnerable groups and children.

Where parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they should contact NHS 111 for assistance. The Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the British Dental Association are also developing proposals for reforming NHS dentistry. One of the main aims is to improve patient access to NHS care.