Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's current target is for dental appointment waiting times.

The Department has not set targets for dental appointment waiting times. During the pandemic National Health Service dental practices have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as possible, focussing first on urgent care and care for vulnerable groups, including children, followed by overdue appointments.

Contractors will also have regard to guidance issued by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on appropriate recall intervals, which are also based on clinical judgement.