Is the 10-year plan to which the Cabinet Secretary referred in paragraph 86 of the Record of Proceedings for Plenary on 1 May 2024 the same as the workforce plan that was recently published by Health Education and Improvement Wales?
The 10-year plan to which I referred on 1 May 2024 is much broader than just workforce. Dental services in Wales face workforce, population, and financial challenges so whilst developing and increasing the workforce is a key part of improving access we must start to think and plan on a broader and longer-term basis if we are to achieve our overall goal of improving the oral health of the nation.
This is why I have asked the Chief Dental Officer to undertake a piece of work that identifies the current and future challenges to oral health in Wales and set out medium to long-term solutions that can address these challenges.