Written question WQ92213

We are working on system reform in dentistry to make improvements for individuals and the profession but, significant and substantive changes will take time and require financial investment which is difficult in the current financial climate.

We are moving away from the much-criticised Units of Dental Activity (UDA) model and reorientating dentistry towards prevention and providing care on a risk and needs basis. By doing so, I believe we can increase both quality of care and access for patients. New patient access is a key part of what we are trying to achieve with the reform of dentistry.

Between April 2023 and February 2024, nearly 130,000 new patients have been taken on for routine care, receiving a full course of treatment and nearly 76,000 people received urgent treatment only. This means that more than 312,000 new patients received a full course of treatment since the re-start of contact reform in April 2022.

We are currently engaged in tripartite negotiations with the British Dental Association and the NHS to develop a new general dental services (GDS) contract. Concluding this process will be key to creating a service that prioritises provision of care to people who need it, as well as making NHS dentistry attractive to dentists. We all want to see the creation of an effective and sustainable GDS model that cares effectively for the public and fairly remunerates the profession who deliver it.

I have no doubt that through constructive cooperation, negotiations will provide all contributing parties the platform to work through this challenging agenda effectively and to identify solutions that will enact the significant changes required.