Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support Integrated Care Boards to use flexible commissioning to improve (a) dental provision and (b) efficiency.

Flexible commissioning is available to commissioners where they have identified a need that cannot be easily met through the provision of mandatory services.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to commission primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations, and to determine the priorities for investment. Commissioners are encouraged to work with local dental network chairs, managed clinical network chairs, dental public health experts, professional representatives, and with the public as appropriate and necessary to discharge statutory duties. NHS England published guidance on flexible commissioning in 2023, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/opportunities-for-flexible-commissioning-in-primary-care-dentistry-a-framework-for-commissioners/