Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the dental workforce are able to (a) access training and (b) gain practice in administering a variety of treatments and using clinical competencies.

The Department is working with Health Education England (HEE) to ensure that dental trainees have access to appropriate training opportunities. From 2020 to 2023, HEE is investing £32 million to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on dental training, including the availability of clinical placements.

In September 2021, HEE published its ‘Advancing Dental Care Review’. The Review introduced the concept of Centres for Dental Development to integrate dental education and training at all levels with service delivery models, particularly in localities where there is a shortage in provision of dental services.

HEE will work with the Department, NHS England and other stakeholders, including existing dental schools, to develop Integrated Centres for Dental Development in areas in need of workforce development. HEE is working with regional commissioners where an interest in the scheme has been expressed.