Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in rural areas.

1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April 2025 to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to July 2024. However, we are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas. The recruitment of dentists in underserved areas remains a priority, with integrated care boards (ICBs) continuing to be able to make use of the Golden Hello scheme to encourage dentists to work in those areas that need them most.

The Government is committed to ensuring people across the country can access urgent dental care when they need it. During 2025/26, ICBs commissioned additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. From April 2026, dentists are now required to deliver a set number of urgent dental appointments each year.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will now make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years.