Debate contribution: Dental Care

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Robinson on 27 May 2025.

MLA

Mr Alan Robinson

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

27 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Dental Care

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4972147

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. In keeping with what tends to be the case with health motions, we hope that Members across the Chamber can support our amendment.

We believe that including a call to "address regional inequalities" helps to strengthen the original motion. We thank the Alliance Members for bringing the motion to the House.

It is right and positive for the House to collectively give a voice to the thousands of people across the Province who find it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to access basic dental care. Access to dental care should be a fundamental part of our health system, but data shows that, for too many individuals and families, particularly those on lower incomes, NHS dental care is becoming a service that is out of reach and one that, dentists tell us, hinges on urgent reform and fair funding. The British Dental Association has consistently made that clear and warned of the growing shortfall between what dentists are paid by the Department and the cost of delivering treatment. On the other hand, the Minister and the Department of Health have warned about similar shortfalls in the Health budget; indeed, the Minister recently told us that he was not confident that he had enough budget to cover the forthcoming pay rises for health workers. I cannot help feeling that the people who depend on us are the ones who are being caught in the middle of the shifts between those two tectonic plates. The only positive is that things could have been worse had the ban on amalgam fillings from January 1 2025 been implemented. That can has been kicked down the road for another day. It is well documented that many dentists are either scaling back or withdrawing from NHS contracts because the numbers simply do not add up in their practices. That means fewer places for NHS patients, longer waiting lists and, ultimately, worsening oral health outcomes. National Insurance and wage increases have meant that dental services are teetering on the edge, with the likelihood of reduced opening hours and even cuts to staff numbers. To compound a depressing state of affairs, a cohort of dentists are approaching retirement. It feels that, for dentists, the perfect storm is above them, below them and, now, around them. The figures for 2023-24 show that there were 364 dental practices and 1,195 dentists in them. However, what struck me was that 114 dentists — nearly 10% — handed back their NHS contracts in 2023-24. Worse still, only two of those practices are fully NHS practices. What is worrying is that oral health is not separate from general health. Even those of us who have no special health experience know that untreated dental problems can lead to serious infections, nutritional issues, chronic pain and even hospital admission. In addition, dentists are on the front line in identifying oral cancer. On whom will that fall most heavily? Our most vulnerable: children, older people and those already facing huge barriers in accessing NHS dental care. While dental treatments are important, early and preventative care is key. Regular check-ups normally prevent serious problems down the line and reduce the pressure on other parts of our health service, such as GP surgeries and A&E departments. It is always better to deal with the issues upstream than it is to try to deal with a dam that is leaking heavily. My party supports the call for the Minister of Health to develop and publish a new oral health strategy that sets out clearly how the Department will improve access, invest in prevention and build a dental workforce that is supported, valued and funded. As I said, we want to see regional inequalities being addressed, regardless of someone's income, postcode or background. We people to have access to the dental care that they need when they need it. One glaring regional variation is in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, where fewer than 49% of the adult population are registered with a health service dentist. I go further: just over three quarters — 76% — of children in Northern Ireland are registered with a health service dentist, with children in the more deprived areas less likely to be registered with a dentist and much more likely to have dental decay. The Minister has outlined his commitment to addressing inequalities and improving access to NHS services, but our constituents face the reality that dental treatment is costly and is becoming a financial burden rather than a public health provision.

Absolutely. As usual, Ms Erskine, who is a capable and avid Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, pinpoints the issue well. The inequality must be tackled so that better health outcomes can be afforded to all our people. It is clear that access to dental care is becoming increasingly determined by one's ability to pay, and that will only deepen existing health disparities. We cannot lay the blame at the feet of dentists, who are just trying to keep their businesses afloat. We cannot blame patients, who are worried about access to treatment. Dentists play a vital role in the healthcare system, and we cannot sit by and watch as oral health is privatised. The benefits of routine dental care in early intervention and treatment must be recognised. We must remember that dentists do not go on strike — they leave. The rising costs of business and a lack of financial support are pushing them out. If we do not save NHS dentistry, more dentists will leave, worsening the problems that our constituents face in accessing dental services. We also support the call for the immediate conclusion and publication of the general dental services cost-of-service review. Without understanding the true cost of delivering NHS dental care, the Department surely cannot fix a dental service that is under so much pressure and strain.

974 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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