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NHS dentistry

Status: Closed Opened: 7 Dec 2022 Closed: 30 May 2024 15 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

The Health and Social Care Committee has launched an inquiry into dentistry following a survey that showed 90% of practices across the UK were not accepting new adult NHS patients. MPs will consider to what extent the current NHS dental contract disincentivises dentists from taking on new patients. They will look at what incentives can … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Ninth Report - NHS dentistry HC 964 14 Jul 2023 26 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
4 Conclusion Ninth Report - NHS dentistry Deferred

Mandate practices to adhere to NICE recall guidelines and prevent automatic patient removal

Practices should abide by NICE recall guidelines of up to two years for most adult patients, recognising the need for more regular recall for some, but people should not automatically be removed from dentists’ registers of NHS patients without good reason. This should be monitored by NHS England to ensure … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation but responds by detailing measures unrelated to NICE recall guidelines or patient registration. The response outlines NHS England's guidance on ringfencing dental allocations for ICBs in 2023/24 and measures to address underperforming contractors by rebasing contracts and recommissioning activity.
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Department of Health and Social Care
10 Conclusion Ninth Report - NHS dentistry Deferred

Reinstate requirement for patients to be registered with an NHS dentist

We uphold the recommendation from our predecessors’ 2008 report into Dental Services, that the Department should reinstate the requirement for patients to be registered with an NHS dentist. (Paragraph 55) Workforce

Government response AI summary
The government reinterprets the recommendation to be about making best use of the wider dental team's skills, citing July 2022 guidance to enable dental therapists and hygienists to open treatment courses and a completed consultation on allowing them to supply/administer certain medicines without a prescription. …
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Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
19 Mar 2024 Dr Amanda Doyle OBE · NHS England, Jason Wong MBE · NHS England, Rebecca Curtayne · Healthwatch England, Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Shawn Charlwood · British Dental Association (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee, Thea Stein · Nuffield Trust View ↗
25 Apr 2023 Chris McCann · Healthwatch England, Dr Amanda Doyle · NHS England, Jo York · Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, Neil O'Brien MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Sarah Fletcher · Healthwatch Lincolnshire, Sara Hurley · NHS England View ↗
21 Mar 2023 Dr Abhi Pal · College of General Dentisty, Dr Sandra White · Association of Dental Groups, Ian Brack · General Dental Council, Malcolm Smith · Health Education England North East, Professor Nick Barker · University of Essex, Shawn Charlwood · British Dental Association (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee View ↗

Who gave evidence

17 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Shawn Charlwood · Chair British Dental Association (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee 2
Chris McCann · Director of Communications, Insight and Campaigns Healthwatch England 1
Dr Abhi Pal · President College of General Dentisty 1
Dr Amanda Doyle · National Director for Primary Care and Community … NHS England 1
Dr Amanda Doyle OBE · National Director for Primary Care and Community … NHS England 1
Dr Sandra White · Clinical Director Association of Dental Groups 1
Ian Brack · Chief Executive and Registrar General Dental Council 1
Jason Wong MBE · Interim Chief Dental Officer NHS England 1
Jo York · Managing Director Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board 1
Malcolm Smith · Chair, HEE's Advancing Dental Care Review and Den… Health Education England North East 1
Neil O'Brien MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primar… Department of Health and Social Care 1
Professor Nick Barker · General Dental Practitioner and Professor of Oral… University of Essex 1
Rebecca Curtayne · External Affairs Manager Healthwatch England 1
Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister … Department of Health and Social Care 1
Sara Hurley · Chief Dental Officer NHS England 1
Sarah Fletcher · Chief Executive Officer Healthwatch Lincolnshire 1
Thea Stein · Chief Executive Nuffield Trust 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
22 May 2024 — Parliamentary Under Secretary of Sate for Public Health on plans to recover and…
18 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of Sate for primary Care …
18 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Chair to the Secretary of State, Steve Barclay MP, on t…