Will the Minister make a statement on the number and location of dental practices within Hywel Dda University Health Board area which are currently accepting new NHS patients?
There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of people accessing NHS dental services in Hywel Dda University Health Board area with over 43,000 additional NHS patients now regularly receiving NHS care when compared to the position in 2006.
It is important to note access to dental services can fluctuate as it is dependent on the capacity of individual practices and contractual commitments which change on a regular basis. In addition to dental practices offering routine NHS services, the Health Board also commissions three Routine Access Services which are located in Milford Haven, Cross Hands and Llanelli. These centres always accept new patients and provide the full range of NHS general dental services.
Hywel Dda University Health Board has acknowledged there are some access pressures, and with £0. 5m additional recurrent funding from Welsh Government, is working to improve access to NHS dental services. The Health Board is in the process of commissioning additional NHS capacity. This has included a new NHS dental service opened in Pembroke in January 2016, which together with an on-going tendering exercise, will provide NHS dental services for 6,500 patients.