Improving access to NHS dentistry is one of the Government's key priorities for the health service. Dental services in many parts of England have been recovering, but I appreciate there is much more progress to be made. The Government will shortly be publishing a dentistry recovery plan, which I understand will focus on improving access for new patients, and ensuring that NHS dentists are better incentivised to deliver NHS care.
Discussions are ongoing between NHS England, the British Dental Association and other stakeholders with a view to reforming the NHS dental contract. These reforms will help improve access to NHS dentists by allowing the best-performing dental practices to see more patients and ensure better use of other dental professionals such as therapists, hygienists and nurses. Changes will also see dentists rewarded more fairly for complex care. The Government has recently announced an average pay uplift for dentists of 8.8 per cent, with the aim of retaining more dentists and improving service provision.
I also recognise that there is more that can be done to increase the recruitment of NHS dentists. In 2023, the Government has taken steps to reduce the barriers to overseas dentists being able to register with the NHS. The Government has also backed the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan developed by the NHS, which sets out many staff will be required to deliver patient care over the next 15 years. It is proposed through the plan that dentistry undergraduate training places are increased by 40 per cent by 2031/32.