Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS dental provision for elderly people; and what steps he is taking to ensure adequate dental provision in care homes.

NHS England is responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population of all ages and those in care homes. Many of the dentistry commissioning functions undertaken by NHS England will transfer to integrated care boards (ICBs) from April 2023. ICBs will be responsible for meeting the needs of their local population by working with patient groups, including on communication needs. NHS England has made available to commissioners an Assurance Framework to provide assurances on commissioning.

Community dental services offer dental care to vulnerable patients who are referred by a general practitioner or social worker and cannot be treated in a general National Health Service dental practice. Treatments are provided in settings including hospitals, specialist health centres and mobile clinics, as well as through home visits or visits in nursing and care homes. In circumstances where a person is unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.