Minister to face questions on government plans for NHS dental recovery

• Inquiry: NHS dentistry
• Health and Social Care Committee

In its report into NHS dentistry, the Health and Social Care Committee called for fundamental reform of the dental contract to end a ‘crisis of access’. The government accepted the majority of the committee’s recommendations in its response and acknowledged there was ‘still much more to be done’.

Health and Social Care Committee Chair Steve Brine MP said:

“We look forward to questioning the Minister on the government’s plans for NHS dentistry and its recovery. The government accepted the majority of the recommendations we made in our report and acknowledged there was still much more to be done. However, our central call for a fundamental reform of the contract with dentists to move away from the current system of payment is the piece that’s missing from the government plans announced earlier this year. Without this, the crisis of access to NHS dentistry is unlikely to be resolved.

“We will also be hearing from the British Dental Association which described our report as ‘an instruction manual to save NHS dentistry’ and has expressed its frustration with the government’s plans.”

Questions are likely to cover the timescale for reform with the earliest changes not expected until 2025, new patient payments, whether the recovery plan will increase appointment availability, and whether dental budgets will be ring-fenced.

The evidence session will be held on Tuesday 19 March with further details given closer to the time.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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