§ Lord Colwynasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they intend to tackle the problem of access to National Health Service dentistry where there is no "phone and go" centre. [HL1476]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe Government are aware of problems in accessing National Health Service dentistry, which are most acute in the south and west of England. By the end of the year there will be around 40 "phone and go" dental access centres relieving the most acute problems of access to NHS dentistry. Further steps are being taken to address problems of access. Personal dental services pilots allow for flexible and innovative approaches to the provision of dental services. There are currently 38 pilots in operation. The Investing in Dentistry initiative is still bearing fruit. The initiative saw a £10 million investment in NHS dentistry and secured promises of 900,000 new NHS patient registrations. The Government intend to publish further plans to modernise NHS dentistry and improve access across the country.