Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 33
21st Report - Fixing NHS Dentistry
Published 4 Apr 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Fixing NHS Dentistry All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Alongside ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of dentists and that they are equitably spread across the country, NHSE also told us that there is a cultural shift for the public in terms of their relationship with a dental practice, rather than with a set individual providing care. NHSE said that part of its package of changes in 2022 was aimed at tackling the “misapprehension that other members of dental teams cannot deliver a course of treatment”. It claimed that these changes have led to more treatments being delivered by dental therapists though acknowledged that it is still at a relatively low level.97 NHSE also felt that increasing the skills 90 Q 34 91 C&AG’s Report, para 1.19 92 Q 48 93 C&AG’s Report, para 1.15 94 Qq 62–63 95 NHS England, NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published June 2023 96 DHSC, Proposal for a ‘tie–in’ to NHS dentistry for graduate dentists, published May 2024 97 Qq 88, 89 19 mix across the dental profession had been welcomed in all quarters of the profession though acknowledged that there was more to do to ensure that all parts of the profession feel a part of the NHS.98 98 Qq 89–90 20
From: Public Accounts Committee, 21st Report - Fixing NHS Dentistry (HC 648), 4 April 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-first Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026.
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-first report from Session 2024-26
Published 18 September 2025.
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-first report from Session 2024-25
Published 10 July 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it "agrees with the Committee's recommendation" on each recommendation set out in the response, giving target dates for several actions and noting that dental contract reform "will take time".
- On contract reform, a realistic timetable for a new contract "will be determined by the scale of changes under consideration and following consultation". Amendments to the current contract would be expected in 2026-27, "subject to consultation and any necessary regulatory changes".
- On the dental recovery plan, NHSE is to write to the Committee in Autumn 2025 with its analysis of the main initiatives. Dental vans are excluded because the government "decided not to implement a national programme of mobile dental vans".
- On funding for 2025-26, NHSE "would also note that there has been no reduction in dental funding", and says the ringfence rises from £3,974 million to £4,104 million and is extended into 2026-27.
- On the workforce, the department will "carefully consider the outcome of the consultation" on a graduate "tie-in" and then publish its response, with a target date of Winter 2025.