Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds data on the number of NHS dental appointments cancelled as a result of practices converting to private provision.

No such assessment has been made. Data on the number of National Health Service dental appointments cancelled due to dental practices converting to private provision is not held.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.