Dental Services: Rural Areas
(asked on 10th November 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of communities in rural areas providing (a) subsidised premises and (b) other local incentives to support the establishment of new NHS dental practices in areas of extremely low NHS dentist availability.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist particularly in more rural areas such as North Cornwall.
The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. Dental practices are businesses and can decide how they operate, providing they remain compliant with the appropriate regulations. Providers are able to make choices about how they operate within the terms of the contract, including choice over the dental laboratory suppliers and premises they use providing they remain compliant.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations and to determine the priorities for investment including local incentives. NHS England has published guidance to support commissioners to take advantage of the opportunities offered to commission further and additional services through flexible commissioning which enables the responsible commissioner to tailor services to meet local population oral health needs. Further information can be found at the following link:
ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.