Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand existing dental schools in the UK.

There are no current plans to do so. The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention. The plan is due for completion by the end of 2022 and its conclusions will be available in due course.

Health Education England’s three-year Advancing Dental Care Review of education and training is being implemented through its Dental Education Reform Programme to improve recruitment and retention in the dental workforce.