Mentions:
1: Melanie Onn (Lab - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) I beg to move,That this House has considered access to NHS dentistry.I thank the Backbench Business - Speech Link
2: Irene Campbell (Lab - North Ayrshire and Arran) Naturally, those lower levels of participation affect patient access to NHS dental services, and dentists - Speech Link
3: Claire Hazelgrove (Lab - Filton and Bradley Stoke) I will continue to campaign for good access to NHS dentists across my community for as long as it takes - Speech Link
4: Claire Young (LD - Thornbury and Yate) access to an NHS dentist. - Speech Link
5: Edward Morello (LD - West Dorset) access to an NHS dentist. - Speech Link
6: Caroline Voaden (LD - South Devon) access to an NHS dentist. - Speech Link
7: Lizzi Collinge (Lab - Morecambe and Lunesdale) Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington spoke about and we need access to NHS dentists. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Siân Gwenllian (Plaid Cymru - Arfon) lack of access to NHS services on the ground and the desire to see future dentists being trained locally - Speech Link
2: Siân Gwenllian (Plaid Cymru - Arfon) lack of access to NHS services on the ground and the desire to see future dentists being trained locally - Speech Link
3: Llyr Gruffydd (Plaid Cymru - North Wales) So, we need to see a solution where everybody in Wales has a reasonable access to NHS dentists. - Speech Link
4: Jeremy Miles (Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party - Neath) But, to improve NHS dentistry, and to improve access to NHS dentistry, we must deliver a new general - Speech Link
5: Mabon ap Gwynfor (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd) work, and to provide strategic leadership on realising the right of all Welsh citizens to access NHS - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) not incentivise dentists to do NHS work. - Speech Link
2: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) not incentivise dentists to do NHS work. - Speech Link
3: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) will make the difficult decisions necessary to restore NHS dentistry to ensure that patients can access - Speech Link
4: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg) access and incentivise the workforce to deliver more NHS care.I am pleased that work to improve access - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) My Lords, we are tackling the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care by providing 700,000 - Speech Link
2: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) improve access to treatments for NHS dental patients. - Speech Link
3: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) access and incentivising the workforce to deliver more NHS care. - Speech Link
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
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 financially disadvantaged people to access private dental services in areas where NHS service are not readily available.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards across England.
NHS dentists can offer private treatments in addition to NHS services. Dentists must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each. The Government does not control the cost of private dental or orthodontic treatment and patients cannot claim back the expense from the NHS.
Free NHS dental care is available for patients who qualify for certain exemptions. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS board areas currently have fewer than one NHS dentist per 1,000 people, and what measures it is taking to address any reported shortages.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Typically an experienced primary care dentist seeing mainly NHS patients will have a list of around 2,000 – 2,500 patients. While the total number of dentists includes those in Public and Hospital Dental Service settings, published figures indicate that there are no Board areas with less than 1 dentist per 2,000 of population.
As at 31 March 2025, there are 59.2 primary care dentists per 100,000 of the Scottish population, compared to 56.8 at 31 March 2024. This equates to 0.6 dentists per 1000 patients.
The Scottish Government introduced payment reform changes from 1 November 2023 which has been well received by the profession. This is the main intervention designed to ensure dentists continue to be incentivised to both remain and increase their NHS provision.
Workforce:
2.Payment reform was introduced in November ’23 reducing treatment items from 700 to 45, with almost 4 million courses of treatment delivered between November 2023 and September 2024.
3.A second stage of reform will focus on workforce. Under the First Minister’s NHS Renewal priorities for 25-26 student intake to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery/BDS courses at Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow universities will increase by 7%; a new training scheme will support overseas-qualified dentists, who are GDC-registered as dental therapists, to convert to full dentist status at a cost of £1.5M and redesign of a rural incentive scheme funded via the GDS budget.
4.I will continue to lead on renewing four-nation discussions on Provisional Registration, which would allow overseas-qualified dentists to enter the UK NHS workforce immediately while awaiting qualification.
5.The Scottish Government is addressing building capacity, by adopting a multi-disciplinary team approach, giving patients direct access to care via dental care professional (i.e. hygienists, therapists, dental nurses).
6.We continue to offer financial support through the recently revised Scottish Dental Access Initiative and Recruitment and Retention Allowance, supporting NHS dental provision in designated geographic areas to address unmet patient need.
7.The Programme for Government sets out a package of actions to improve the NHS dental workforce now and into the future, and is supported by new funding in 2025-26.
8.We will support the dental workforce pipeline through both the immediate expansion of domestic dental student numbers and the development of an innovative new training package to support international dentists in joining the NHS Scotland workforce.
9.Alongside this, we are also working with NHS Boards to refine the financial incentives in place to support dentists moving to work in rural areas, supporting sustainable access across Scotland.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help armed forces (a) veterans and (b) families to access NHS dental treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to ensure that everyone who needs to see a dentist will be able to do so. This includes our valued members of the Armed Forces community, including our respected veterans, who have spent their careers defending our country.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. Armed forces families and veterans will be able to benefit from the improved access these changes bring, like other civilian members of the public.
Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:
- under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;
- pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;
- being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;
- receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; or
- receiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.
Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for an exemption or a full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people living in Nottingham East constituency have access to NHS dentistry when they need it.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Nottingham East constituency, this is the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB is expected to deliver 24,360 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.
ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 April 2025, in England, there are 53 dentists in post with a further 44 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post. Another 256 posts are currently advertised.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce targeted incentives for dentists treating low-income patients privately due to levels of NHS provision in West Dorset.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care 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 the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the Dorset ICB.
ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 April 2025, in England, there are 53 dentists in post with a further 44 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. Another 256 posts are currently advertised.
The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. NHS dentists can offer private treatments in addition to NHS services. Dentists must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each. The Government does not control the cost of private dental or orthodontic treatment and patients cannot claim back the expense from the NHS.
Free NHS dental care is available for patients who qualify for certain exemptions. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. Further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/