Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2022 to Question 105403 on Dental Services, what steps he is taking to help integrated care boards commission dental services in areas with limited access to dental care; and what steps he plans to take to give integrated care boards scope to (a) attract dentists and (b) commissions training places in areas with limited access to dental care.

The Government has committed to publishing a workforce plan next year, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years, taking account of improvements in retention and productivity. This will include dental care professionals. In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care in all areas. These changes will improve access to National Health Service dentistry care whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dentists and dental practices. We have implemented these changes, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022.