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Written question asked by Rachael Maskell (Labour) on Monday, 6 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Stephen Kinnock (Labour) on Thursday, 9 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Dental Services

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were waiting more than (a) 18, (b) 26 and (c) 52 weeks for treatment by the Community Dental Service in England at the latest available date.

Answer

We recognise that certain groups of patients may be particularly vulnerable to oral health problems and may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment and are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs).

The January 2025 Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) report on Community Dental Service (CDS) highlighted several known challenges in the operation and monitoring of CDS and offered recommendations for improvements. The majority of recommendations in the GIRFT report related to operational considerations for individual ICBs to address, which varies according to local arrangements, priorities, and needs.

NHS England and the Department have taken the recommendations on board and are working to improve the data reporting process to increase oversight of CDS activity, including current waiting lists and performance reporting. An amended waiting list data collection was implemented in August 2025 and will improve oversight of the current waiting lists and waiting times for adults and children.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15998
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Dental services Waiting lists
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk