Scottish Parliament – Feb. 23, 2022 – 2

S6M-03281.1: As an amendment to motion S6M-03281 in the name of Sandesh Gulhane (Preventing the Collapse of NHS Dentistry in Scotland), insert at end “;

is concerned by the growing inequality in access to NHS dental care, with recent statistics showing that thousands of people in the most deprived areas have not seen a dentist in over two years;

believes that immediate action is needed by the Scottish Government to avoid a two-tier dental system, and urges the Scottish Government to take urgent action to ensure that everyone, irrespective of background or circumstances, has access to first-class NHS dental treatment.”

Original motion(S6M-03281): That the Parliament notes with concern that almost half of people in Scotland have been unable to see an NHS dentist for the last two years;

further notes the Scottish Government’s proposed withdrawal of emergency funding provided to dental practices on 1 April 2022;

believes that this funding should be maintained for the upcoming financial year in recognition of the considerable efforts still required to restore services and reduce the significant backlog of patients seeking dental treatment, particularly while maintaining enhanced infection control measures;

recognises the importance of regular dental check-ups for people of all ages, both for good dental hygiene and in the detection of some forms of oral cancer;

acknowledges the concerns expressed by many in the profession that the current settlement risks making NHS dentistry financially unviable;

calls on the Scottish Government to come forward with a plan for ensuring the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry, including a complete overhaul of the current fee structure to more accurately reflect modern dentistry;

further calls on the Scottish Government to increase the dental tariffs provided by government to NHS dentists by a third as an interim measure to sustain NHS dental services, and ensure that all people in Scotland are able to access a dental check-up in 2022 and every year as clinically required thereafter, and calls for the development of a more holistic service that NHS patients deserve, in place of the current conveyor belt system.