Written Statement by MS, Cabinet Minister for
Health and Care
In recent years, there have been increasing concerns regarding
access to NHS dental services concerns amplified in rural areas
and more deprived communities. We take reports of so-called
'dental deserts' and growing numbers of patients forgoing
treatment or resorting to private care very seriously.
While significant progress has been made on improving children's
oral health in Wales, we fully recognise that far more needs to
be done to support and strengthen dentistry as an integral
component of the NHS. As a new Government, we are committed to
ensuring that barriers to accessing NHS dentistry are addressed,
with a strong emphasis on prevention now being embedded in
day-to-day dental services through NHS dental reform.
The new General Dental Services contract represents the most
significant change to NHS dentistry in Wales for almost twenty
years. For the first time, prevention and needs-based care have
been properly embedded within the contractual framework itself.
The new system places greater emphasis on prevention, risk
assessment, clinical need and long-term oral health outcomes, and
removes the Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) metric that had long
been a source of contention. As with any major reform, full
impact will take time to assess, but we are already seeing more
preventative care delivered and NHS capacity directed towards
those who need it most.
The Dental Access Portal has become one of the most important
innovations in NHS dentistry in Wales. For the first time, Health
Boards can build a comprehensive picture of where people are
seeking NHS dental care and where future investment should be
targeted. I would strongly encourage anyone seeking NHS dental
services to register their details on the Portal. Every
registration helps Health Boards better understand local need and
ensures future investment reaches the communities that need it
most.
Access remains challenging in some parts of Wales, particularly
rural areas, and I am determined to make improvements during this
government term. I now want to turn focus to workforce and
service delivery models.
A sustainable NHS dental service depends upon a sustainable
workforce. That is why we are committed to supporting Bangor and
Aberystwyth Universities' proposal to open a new Dental School
for Wales. Expanding training capacity would increase workforce
pipelines into areas that have historically struggled with
recruitment and retention, and strengthen the long-term
sustainability of NHS dentistry. Alongside this, we need to
strengthen workforce planning to identify future pressures before
they affect services. This Government will publish a long-term
workforce strategy for NHS Wales in the autumn, setting out
practical actions to strengthen workforce supply, planning,
retention and service sustainability over the next decade.
In rural areas, I want to see health boards develop more
innovative salaried models, make greater use of community hubs
with dental provision, and re-examine mobile provision for our
most rural communities.
The direction of travel is clear: healthier children, better
prevention, improved access and a more sustainable NHS dental
service for the future.
