Thank you very much for getting in contact with me about access to dental services.
My colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives are extremely concerned that dental services under Labour haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with Welsh dentists this year carrying out less than half of the number of treatments compared with 2019-20. However, even before the pandemic struck, only around 55% of the Welsh population were able to access NHS dental care.
The Labour Government has said that all NHS dental practices have a responsibility to see new patients, but spend on NHS dentistry in Wales is low. Before the pandemic, Wales was receiving £47 per head, compared with Scotland and Northern Ireland, where it is £55 and £56 per head, respectively.
Welsh Conservatives are also extremely disappointed that oral health inequalities are widening, due to expense and vulnerability to COVID-19, as well as living in rural areas, where dental practices take longer to get to.
On these issues, I’m aware that the Health and Social Care Committee is currently investigating access to dentistry, however, my colleague, the Shadow Health Minister, Russell George MS, will continue to raise your concerns with the Labour Health Minister, Eluned Morgan MS.
Thank you again for taking the time to write to me.