Dental services to get £3m funding boost

Dental services in Wales will receive £3m in extra funding, the Welsh Government’s Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, has announced.

Next year, NHS dentistry will be supported by recurrent funding of £2m, which will be targeted at general and community dental services.

It is hoped this funding, which is being made available to health boards, will help address local issues and improve access to dental services in Wales.

Mrs Morgan said: “There have been some long-standing issues with access to dentistry, due to some dental practices experiencing difficulties with recruitment and retention of dentists, and this impacting on the provision of NHS dental services.”

The minister added: “We expect this funding to support health boards to tackle these issues and ensure the service is more resilient in years to come.”

Dentistry was impacted during the coronavirus pandemic, with disruption caused by the restrictions placed upon the industry, such as social distancing and enhanced PPE.

Mrs Morgan added: “Dentists have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and we are proud that services have continued for those who need treatment the most. Investing in emergency and urgent care will support these efforts and boost recovery of the services.”

Warren Tolley, deputy Chief Dental Officer for Wales, said: “Dentistry has faced a number of challenges in recent months as we have adapted to living with the pandemic, but ensuring we have the infrastructure and support to maintain services will boost our recovery efforts and help us return to pre-pandemic levels of activity quicker.

“This funding will support us not just in the short term but also in the long term as we aim to reform services and improve access to dental care.”