In the Opposition Day Debate on January 9, 2024, the government restated its ambition to provide access for all but offered no clarity on how to achieve that goal. But the BDA says ministers sidestepped the collapse in NHS dentist numbers since lockdown by comparing contemporary figures to those seen in 2010/11.
A Recovery Plan was pledged in spring 2023, yet remains undelivered.
The Nuffield Trust warned last month the service faces the gravest crisis in its 75-year history, and universal access to care may be dead without radical reform and investment.
Eddie Crouch, BDA Chair, said, “Today, when we needed clarity, the government provided a full gamut of platitudes and half-truths.
“Ministers keep saying they want an NHS dentist for everyone. There is still no evidence of any plan to make that happen.”