To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of NHS dentistry provision.

Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, General Dental Services in Northern Ireland faced many challenges, however access to treatment was good and the general oral health of the population was improving.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on delivery of dental services cannot be underestimated. The continuing Infection Prevention and Control restrictions mean that patient footfall remains unavoidably low and there is a continued additional burden on costs. It is also likely that, with the backlog in treatment, the challenges facing us over the next 2/3 years will be different from those facing us before the pandemic.

To ensure access to care is maintained during the pandemic, my Department established the Financial Support Scheme to support General Dental Practices in Northern Ireland. The rapid set-up of Urgent Dental Care Centres (UDCC’s) across the five Trust areas in Northern Ireland ensured dental care for all groups, including the vulnerable, elderly and children has been maintained during this difficult time. Furthermore, patient registration periods have been extended throughout the pandemic to ensure patients maintain access to their registered dental practitioner.