8. To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to improve patient access to dental services. (S6O-02291)

We are working closely with the dental sector to ensure that it has the support that is necessary for it to be able to offer access to national health service care for patients. That includes the Scottish Government providing Scottish dental access initiative grants and recruitment and retention allowances to dentists and dental practices in qualifying areas.

The Scottish dental access initiative grant pays out a potential £100,000 for the first surgery, and £25,000 per additional surgery, to practices that set up a new NHS practice or extend an existing NHS practice. The recruitment and retention allowance provides up to £37,500 across three years to eligible NHS dentists.

The current funding model for NHS dentistry is broken. Basic NHS procedures, such as denture-fitting or extraction procedures, are delivered at a loss, and no practices in South Ayrshire are taking on new NHS patients. Morale is at an all-time low and we are seeing an exodus from the NHS dental workforce. What is the minister doing to fix that?

The issue of dentistry has been raised a lot in the chamber over the last wee while, and I recognise that there are concerns about it. However, we are working incredibly closely with dentists to find a suitable process and fee structure that will support them to ensure that we have a sustainable dentistry service in Scotland that also provides NHS care.

I thank the minister for her comment about recruitment and retention. She will recognise that there are particular issues in rural and island areas. Can she provide reassurance that any support for recruitment and retention will not be spent so thinly as to be ineffective in delivering the additional capacity that we need in rural and island areas?

As the member says, funding for retention is important. My officials have looked closely at where that should be concentrated in order to get the best results.