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Dental Services: Thurrock

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 19 March 2025UIN 37894

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to tackle low levels of dental attendance in Thurrock.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, this is Mid and South Essex ICB.

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