– in the Scottish Parliament at on 23 February 2023.
Oliver Mundell
Conservative
8. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with the health secretary regarding any disproportionate impact on households experiencing poverty, and any other social justice impacts, of the reported lack of NHS dental care provision in some parts of Scotland. (S6O-01923)
Shona Robison
Scottish National Party
We are aware of the hardship that people are facing right now, and we continue to urge the United Kingdom Government to take action to support people through the cost of living crisis. This Government has allocated £3 billion to help households through a range of measures.
On dental care, the Government has already introduced free dental care for young people between the ages of 18 and 25, and we have made a commitment to abolish all national health service dental charges in this parliamentary session. We continue to support health boards to deliver NHS dental services, and we have put in place additional recruitment and retention incentives in remote and rural areas.
Oliver Mundell
Conservative
Those commitments count for nothing in places where there is no NHS dental provision. I am really worried about young people and, in particular, pregnant women in parts of my Constituency who cannot access an NHS dentist. The advice from the health board is that they should try to find a private dentist. Does the Cabinet secretary agree that that is wrong, and will she approach NHS Dumfries and Galloway and ask it to think again?
Shona Robison
Scottish National Party
I will, of course, get the health Minister responsible to reply in some detail on the issue, but I can say that there is a framework of support to encourage more dentists to remote and rural areas, including the whole of the NHS Dumfries and Galloway health board area. I understand that golden hello payments of up to £37,500 are being made available to trainee dentists who wish to start their career by providing NHS dental services. That incentive has been instrumental in attracting vocational trainees to the board. I think that there are six vocational trainee placements, and it is hoped that at least the same number will be recruited later this year. Action is being taken.
In addition, I understand that unregistered patients will continue to be able to access emergency and urgent care via the public dental service clinics in Dumfries and Stranraer, and that the board has agreed to recruit additional dental helpline staff in response to the increase in call volumes, in order to help to get people to the right place.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
That concludes portfolio Question Time. I apologise to the few members whom I could not manage to squeeze in.
There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business, to allow front-bench teams to change positions, should they wish to do so.
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