Written Evidence Apr. 24 2024
Inquiry: NHS leadership, performance and patient safetyFound: NHL0098 - NHS leadership, performance and patient safety British Dental Association Written Evidence
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 4% increase in NHS dental charges on access to dental care for low-income (a) people and (b) families.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service dental charges provide an important contribution to pressurised NHS budgets. It is particularly important to maintain this contribution at sustainable levels, whilst we work to improve NHS dentistry. In setting the charges, we strive to strike a balance between the contribution the charges represent to the overall NHS budget, and the cost to charge-paying patients, recognising the primary policy objectives of improving oral health and guarding against creating financial barriers in accessing NHS dentistry.
We consider that the latest 4% uplift is proportionate, as it remains below the Consumer Prices Index, and represents a £1 increase to a Band 1 course of treatment. To ensure everyone has access to dentistry when needed, there are a range of exemptions to NHS dental patient charges for those who need the most financial support.
The Department has produced an Impact Assessment with respect to the 4% uplift of NHS dental charges for patients in England from April 2024, which is available from the following link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2024/48/pdfs/ukia_20240048_en.pdf
In line with our Public Sector Equality duty, the Department has also considered the impact of the change on equality, and on those from disadvantaged groups.
Mentions:
1: Andrew Western (Lab - Stretford and Urmston) The toll this takes on their mental health and wellbeing is huge. - Speech Link
2: Laura Farris (Con - Newbury) Member for Stretford and Urmston (Andrew Western) for securing this debate and for the sensitive way - Speech Link
3: Laura Farris (Con - Newbury) They depend entirely on oral questions being put to the individual. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Penny Mordaunt (Con - Portsmouth North) 17 Westminster Hall debates responded to by FCDO ministers, as well as oral questions in both Houses - Speech Link
2: Steve Double (Con - St Austell and Newquay) May we have a statement from the Department of Health and Social Care on the Government’s plans to maintain - Speech Link
3: Penny Mordaunt (Con - Portsmouth North) I shall ensure that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has heard his concerns, and that - Speech Link
4: Jerome Mayhew (Con - Broadland) dental training places over the next five years, because they understand how important access to NHS dentistry - Speech Link
Apr. 17 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 11 March 2024 to 3 April 2024Found: the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009; or (ii) a Health and Social Care
Mentions:
1: Yasmin Qureshi (Lab - Bolton South East) I declare an interest, as I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on dentistry and oral health - Speech Link
2: Preet Kaur Gill (LAB - Birmingham, Edgbaston) as we have heard, oral health is incredibly important. - Speech Link
Apr. 12 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 10 April 2024 to 10 April 2024Found: the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009; or (ii) a Health and Social Care
Apr. 12 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 10 April 2024 to 10 April 2024Found: the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009; or (ii) a Health and Social Care
Apr. 12 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 4 April 2024 to 9 April 2024Found: the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009; or (ii) a Health and Social Care
Apr. 09 2024
Source Page: MHRA FOI performance dataFound: This included “following the Department [of Health and Social Care]’s example and allowing any associations