What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to dental care across North Wales?
Health boards have the budget and responsibility for the provision of dental services to meet local needs and the wider oral health agenda. This gives them the ability to fund and develop services to reflect local requirements and priorities.
We are making good progress with the recovery of dental services but dentistry is one of the most complex areas of primary care in terms of the reinstatement of services. As COVID-19 is still in circulation, public health measures such as physical distancing, enhanced PPE and infection control requirements, mean fewer patients can be ‘seen’ in a clinical session. We need dental practices to continue to follow infection control measures to protect practice staff, patients and the wider community.
As part of the recovery of dental services we have worked with all health boards to ensure that measures are included for all dental practices providing NHS care see new patients each week.
We are also working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board on the establishment of a new North Wales Dental Academy in Bangor. This will provide an opportunity for the Health Board to significantly increase dental provision improving access to NHS dental services in North Wales.