HANSARDCommons17 Oct 20234 contributions

NHS Dentistry: South-west England

Chris Loder (West Dorset) (Con)
ConservativeWest Dorset
16. What steps he is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry services in the south-west.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Neil O’Brien)
ConservativeHarborough, Oadby and Wigston
In addition to the steps we are taking to drive up NHS dentistry everywhere, we are going further in the south-west, with NHSE commissioning additional urgent appointments. There are several hundred extra appointments every week.
Chris Loder
ConservativeWest Dorset
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. It is not sustainable for the people of West Dorset who have needed dental care for some time when there is a £400 million national underspend in the dental care budget. The NHS and local dentists tell me that the incompatibility often relates to the national dental care contract, which is up for review. When does the Minister expect a solution to be found to this contract difficulty? Will he meet me and the NHS Dorset ICB to discuss the matter in detail to find a solution?
Neil O’Brien
ConservativeHarborough, Oadby and Wigston
Absolutely. I am keen to continue the conversation with my hon. Friend. These issues are exactly why, this summer, we legislated to allow rebasing and to end the inflexibility he describes. We are also in the process of ringfencing local dental budgets, because we do not want to see underspends. We want to see that money going to NHS dentistry.