Meeting of the Parliament 08 February 2023
I am grateful for the opportunity to debate the important matter of access to NHS dental care, given the unprecedented impact of the pandemic and the uncertainty that that has caused. I am pleased with the progress that we are making, and I am glad that we were able to confirm that we are maintaining the current bridging payment until 31 October, incentivising NHS work.
I am sure that everyone in the chamber will recognise that NHS dental services have undergone a significant and prolonged period of recovery. Members will recall that patient access to NHS dental services was severely reduced during the pandemic, as sensible public health precautions were required to mitigate the possible transmission of Covid-19 in dental surgeries. We are seeing encouraging signs of improving patient access to care.
The Scottish Government supported dental practices through the pandemic, including through the provision of an additional £150 million to maintain the sector. That includes vital financial support payments being made to contractors to secure continued NHS dental service provision.
NHS dental services are on the road to recovery. I am sure that members will wish to share my admiration for NHS dental services as sector recovery continues. That is highlighted by the completion of more than 1.6 million NHS examination appointments between April and October 2022.
In 2022-23, an average of 300,000 courses of treatment a month have taken place, highlighting an improvement on the 2021 figures.
Far from the picture that Alex Cole-Hamilton has painted, that means that we are on course for an increase of 40 per cent in NHS dental activity compared with 2021-22. It also means that we have made considerable progress towards pre-pandemic levels.
Additional support payments have been provided in each quarter of the current financial year, on top of item of service claims, to support contractor incomes and, crucially, to enable patient care to be delivered.