4. Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Minister of Health to outline how many children and young people with disabilities have had a severe reaction to having teeth extracted in the Royal School of Dentistry since January 2020. (AQO 267/22-27)

I thank the Member. Children and young people with disabilities receive dental care across a range of settings in Northern Ireland: general dental services, community dental services and hospital dental services. Those with the most complex needs are treated in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Royal Victoria Hospital under the care of paediatric and special care dental consultants. The children's hospital on the Royal hospital site provides care for children up to 13 years and young people from 13 to 18 years are cared for at the school of dentistry.

The strategic planning and performance group (SPPG) sought clarification from the SPPG-PHA (Public Health Agency) governance team and from the Belfast Trust, and neither is aware of any reported severe adverse reactions relating to dental procedures in children at the children's hospital or young persons at the school of dentistry or within the wider Belfast Health and Social Care Trust services, including the community dental service general anaesthetic lists from 2020 to the present day. Whilst I cannot discuss individual cases, there may be serious adverse incidents (SIAs) related to dental care being raised currently through the Belfast Trust's established processes, and, in line with established serious adverse incident processes, the trust will ensure the appropriate level of engagement with patients and their families throughout any investigation.

Minister, I have been in your position where officials, in good faith, give you an answer and you use it in a response. I am telling you that what you have said is not fact. My constituent Alex Duffy died in January of this year as a result of complications of services received in the RVH. That was an adverse incident, as far as I am aware. If it was not, it should have been. I ask the Minister to go back and ask again how many children and young people with disabilities and complex histories have had adverse reactions. I know for a fact that Alex is one, but there are others.

I am not aware of the specific case that the Member has raised. If there are ongoing SAIs in relation to a specific case, such as the individual that the Member mentioned, I do not have the detail here. I will go back and ask officials in the Belfast Trust to investigate. I am sure that the Member would expect nothing less.