Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
In recent years, there have been increasing concerns regarding access to NHS dental services – concerns amplified in rural areas and more deprived communities. We take reports of so-called 'dental deserts' and growing numbers of patients forgoing treatment or resorting to private care very seriously.
While significant progress has been made on improving children's oral health in Wales, we fully recognise that far more needs to be done to support and strengthen dentistry as an integral component of the NHS. As a new Government, we are committed to ensuring that barriers to accessing NHS dentistry are addressed, with a strong emphasis on prevention now being embedded in day-to-day dental services through NHS dental reform.
The new General Dental Services contract represents the most significant change to NHS dentistry in Wales for almost twenty years. For the first time, prevention and needs-based care have been properly embedded within the contractual framework itself. The new system places greater emphasis on prevention, risk assessment, clinical need and long-term oral health outcomes, and removes the Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) metric that had long been a source of contention. As with any major reform, full impact will take time to assess, but we are already seeing more preventative care delivered and NHS capacity directed towards those who need it most.
The Dental Access Portal has become one of the most important innovations in NHS dentistry in Wales. For the first time, Health Boards can build a comprehensive picture of where people are seeking NHS dental care and where future investment should be targeted. I would strongly encourage anyone seeking NHS dental services to register their details on the Portal. Every registration helps Health Boards better understand local need and ensures future investment reaches the communities that need it most.
Access remains challenging in some parts of Wales, particularly rural areas, and I am determined to make improvements during this government term. I now want to turn focus to workforce and service delivery models.
A sustainable NHS dental service depends upon a sustainable workforce. That is why we are committed to supporting Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities' proposal to open a new Dental School for Wales. Expanding training capacity would increase workforce pipelines into areas that have historically struggled with recruitment and retention, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry. Alongside this, we need to strengthen workforce planning to identify future pressures before they affect services. This Government will publish a long-term workforce strategy for NHS Wales in the autumn, setting out practical actions to strengthen workforce supply, planning, retention and service sustainability over the next decade.
In rural areas, I want to see health boards develop more innovative salaried models, make greater use of community hubs with dental provision, and re-examine mobile provision for our most rural communities.
The direction of travel is clear: healthier children, better prevention, improved access and a more sustainable NHS dental service for the future.