Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the accessibility for patients of NHS funded dentistry care.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association (BDA), on improvements to the National Health Service dental system, with negotiations currently underway. This aims to improve patient access, reduce health inequalities and make the NHS a more attractive place to work for dentists.   We will set out a timetable for implementation when these negotiations conclude.

Between April and June 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver at least 95% of contracted units of dental activity to safely improve access for patients.