AQW 30263/22-27


Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast


Tabled Date: 03/09/2025
Answered On Date: 02/10/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health what measures are being explored to enable patients who are both (i) ineligible for the Dental Access Scheme due to needing ongoing treatment; and (ii) unable to access private dental treatment.


Answer:
I acknowledge that there are notable challenges facing many patients, particularly those not registered with a dental practice, in accessing dental care when they need it.
General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) are self-employed, independent contractors who are free to choose the amount of Health Service (HS) care they provide.
For many months now, my Department has focused efforts on improving access for patients with targeted investments.
This includes the Dental Access Scheme (DAS) which allows unregistered patients with an urgent or pressing (but non-urgent) need to receive treatment. The need for ongoing treatment does not disqualify a patient from accessing the DAS however, that ongoing need will not be treated via the DAS.
While I acknowledge that this will not cover every case, it ensures that those in the most need are able to receive the treatment they require.
In June I announced a further £7m investment for 2025/26 to continue supporting the service and to improve access for patients while reform is progressed. The investment is funding the continuation of the Enhanced Child Examination Scheme and 30% enhancement on fees paid to dentists for Health Service fillings, extractions, and root canals, alongside a new £1.6m allocation to provide additional support to dental practitioners who continue to provide Health Service dental care for their patients.
My officials are working on further options to improve access for patients however, any decisions need to be made in the face of a £600m deficit for my Department, which severely limits my ability to implement the kind of transformative change we would all like to see.
Longer term, my Department’s Health and Social Care NI three-year plan includes a commitment to develop an action plan and programme of work for the reform of General Dental Services by April 2027.