Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
NHS funded dental care is in crisis in some parts of the country, and NHS...
Recommendation
NHS funded dental care is in crisis in some parts of the country, and NHS England’s failure to ensure people can access routine dental care is leading to more acute dental health problems. NHS England, rather than ICSs, remains responsible for most NHS dentistry but in some parts of the country it is impossible to find a dentist offering NHS treatment. At our evidence session in November NHS England could not tell us how much longer it expected these gaps in the provision of an essential service to remain. It told us about several changes it has recently made, including increasing payments for complex work, allowing dental health technicians to accept NHS patients for treatment, and increasing the activity cap for high performing practices. Following the session NHS England wrote to us to set out more details on these plans. We welcome NHS England’s assurance that it sees restoring dental services as a critical priority. However even in December 2019, before the pandemic, more than 40% of children and half of adults in England had not received any NHS dental care at all in the previous two years. We were disappointed that NHS England is still unable to say by when it expects the changes it is making to result in more dentists offering NHS treatment. 8 Introducing Integrated Care Systems Recommendation: Alongside the Treasury Minute response to this Report, NHS England should write to us and set out: • The funding intended for NHS dentistry in 2022/23 and 2023/24 and what coverage this provides, in terms of the proportion of adults and children who could access these services, and what services the funding will and will not cover. • Its understanding of the proportion of adults and children using non-NHS dentistry, and the proportion of people who do not access any dentistry services at all. • By when it expects to be able to consistently provide the target level of coverage, and • What patients should do if they require dental care and are unable to find a dentist o
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee’s recommendation and sets out the funding intended for NHS dentistry in 2022/23 and 2023/24. The government outlines several measures taken to secure recovery of dental access, improve accessibility and indicates people can attend any dentist accepting NHS patients and where the person is unable to secure an appointment, or they are unknown to a dental practice then they should contact NHS 111 for assistance to find an emergency or urgent appointment.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the committee’s recommendation 6.2. Securing recovery of dental access is a key NHS priority. The pandemic had a significant impact on the delivery of dental services and NHS England is taking steps to recover dental activity and improve access to dental care. NHS England provides its regional commission teams and Integrated Care Boards with a combined allocation for dental services, community pharmacy and primary care ophthalmology. In 2022-23 this is £5,440 million and it will rise to £5,597 million in 2023-24. One measure of dental access is the proportion of people accessing NHS funded care. The number of unique adult patients seen in the 24 months to the end of 2021-22 was 34%, compared to 50% in the 24 months to the end of 2018-19. The portion of children seen in the NHS has fallen to 45% in the 12 months to the end of 2021-22, from 59% in the 12 months to March 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to services over a two-year period and the NHS is now recovering from this disruption. As part of its work to recover services, NHS England published and put into effect the first round of dental contract reforms since 2006 after being asked to lead the NHS Dental System Reform in April 2021. The primary goal of this initial set of reforms was to improve accessibility. NHS England is aware that these efforts are just the beginning and is considering what further action is required to address the root issues affecting delivery. NHS dental services are commissioned to provide urgent and routine treatment. People can attend any dentist accepting NHS patients and may therefore access care in a location convenient for them. Where a person is experiencing an urgent dental issue, and they are known to a dental practice, they should contact that practice to attempt to make an appointment. Where the person is unable to secure an appointment, or they are unknown to a dental practice then they should contact NHS 111 for assistance to find an emergency or urgent appointment. Further information has been set out in a letter to the Committee, issued alongside the publication of this Treasury Minute on 30 March 2023.