Dental Services and Health Services: Disadvantaged
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of poverty on access to (a) health and (b) dental care.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
Whilst there has been no formal assessment made, it is recognised that people living in the most deprived areas can face challenges accessing health and dental care.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging health services that are accessible and that meet the health needs of their populations, and in doing so must also have regard to the need to reduce inequalities in access to health services.
In guidance on the preparation of integrated care strategies, updated in 2024, the Department has also explicitly outlined the need for integrated care partnerships to consider groups which may have the greatest need for services and the greatest difficulty in accessing them, and take steps to remove barriers and improve provision for these populations.
Free National Health Service dental care is available to people who meet a certain criterion, such as receiving low-income benefits. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental charges. In line with the Government’s Health Mission, the Department’s goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind.
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