Written question WQ98816
- Asked by
- Gwyn WilliamsPlaid
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 11 days
Question
What steps will the Cabinet Minister take to renegotiate the Welsh dentistry contract to avoid so many dentists leaving the NHS with the consequent difficulty and expense for people suffering dental issues?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care (Mabon ap Gwynfor)
The new NHS dental contract arrangements that came into force on 1 April 2026 are the most significant change to NHS dentistry in two decades. We will monitor the new arrangements very carefully to identify opportunities to improve the contract further in order to make NHS dentistry an attractive place to work and improve access for patients.
The new Welsh Government is committed to improving dentistry services, including the introduction of a new duty for health boards to assess local dentistry needs and advancing plans for the establishment of a new dental school for Wales to train the staff of the future.