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Written question asked by Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 16 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Friday, 4 September 2026. A substantive answer was provided by James Frith (Labour) on Monday, 7 September 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Dental Services: Technology

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to maximise the use of available technologies used to establish the available capacity of NHS dental practices to improve access to NHS dentistry.

Answer

We are committed to improving access to National Health Service dentistry and are making use of available digital tools to help patients identify where NHS dental care may be available. For example, the NHS website’s “Find a dentist” service remains a key route for patients to identify local NHS dental practices and whether they are accepting new patients. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

NHS dentists are required to update their NHS.UK website profiles, which include information on whether they are accepting new patients, at least every 90 days, to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care.

In the longer term, our 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for the future of the NHS, with a shift from analogue to digital, harnessing the power of modern technology to create the most digitally accessible health system in the world.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
19738
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Dental services Technology
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk