The petition of the residents of the constituency of Blackpool South,
Declares that petitioners are concerned about the lack of access to NHS dental care in Blackpool; notes that that many residents have been unable to find an NHS Practice currently taking on new patients, leaving them unable to access routine and urgent treatment.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to act quickly to improve access to NHS dental care in Blackpool.
And the petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Scott Benton, Official Report, 6 December 2022; Vol. 724, c. 312.]
[P002786]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Neil O’Brien):
The Government are aware of the challenges that areas such as Blackpool are facing in accessing NHS dentistry. Dentistry is an important part of the NHS and we are committed to improving access and other issues currently faced by patients and the workforce. This is why we announced a package of dental system improvements on 19 July and detailed in our plan for patients. These important first steps to reform NHS dentistry will improve access for patients and make NHS work more attractive to dentists, particularly in areas where there are access challenges. These changes include improvements to the 2006 contract to ensure dentists are remunerated more fairly for complex treatment, and patient access is improved, especially for those with higher oral health need. As part of this package, we will also enable dental practices to deliver 110% of their contract levels to help recovery from the pandemic and increase activity.
We have taken action to implement these changes, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November. NHS England will shortly publish additional guidance for dental professionals as part of this package.
To support the provision of urgent care, over 170 urgent dental care centres remain open across the country and one of these is located in Blackpool. There are a number of local initiatives within the area, including supported access after urgent care, commissioned until the end of March 2024. This initiative reduces the number of patients attending an urgent dental centre then requiring additional urgent care within the year. In Blackpool, dental practices are also piloting “protected sessions” for vulnerable families with council “Community Connectors” facilitating care. The pilot started in February 2022 and has now been formally commissioned until end of March 2024.
In addition to this, an additional £50 million in funding was made available across England for additional activity and patient appointments in 2022. Of this £50 million, £1,633,000 was allocated to Lancashire and South Cumbria, which includes dental practices in Blackpool.
Planned closure of the Ambleside and Hawkshead doctors surgeries
The petition of residents of the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale,
Declares that the Central Lakes Medical Practice should be saved and protected for the long term; further declares that that both Ambleside and Hawkshead surgeries should not close, should not be run by a private, for profit company and should instead be run by local doctors; furthermore, asks that the new practices should guarantee continuity of care so that patients are able to see the same doctor for the majority of their visits and further that, call for fair funding of the new practice, as medical care in rural communities is more expensive to provide.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Integrated Care Board to adhere to these terms when procuring a contract for the surgeries.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Tim Farron, Official Report, 21 November 2022; Vol. 723, c. 126.]
[P002782]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Neil O’Brien):
NHS England has confirmed that the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has put in place a local caretaking provider from 1 January 2023. These practices are not at risk of closure, and the outcome of the procurement for a longer-term provider is due to be published shortly. NHS England is accountable for ensuring that all patients have access to a GP practice.
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NHS England has confirmed that an open and competitive procurement process has been used. In line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) Regulations 2013, all eligible bidders were able to bid for this contract and assessment criteria of bids focused upon quality of care and not bidders' organisational structure. NHS England has also confirmed that the procurement process has required all bidders to demonstrate their planned workforce model.