Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, what steps he plans to take to increase the NHS participation rate for dentists.

As we fix the National Health Service, we will deliver the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, so patients are always cared for by the right, qualified healthcare professional. The NHS has for years been facing chronic workforce shortages and we must be honest that bringing in the staff we need will take time.

The Government will tackle the immediate dentistry crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.