Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:11 pm on 13 March 2019.
I've actually been very encouraged by the response of the dentistry world to 'A Healthier Wales' and wanting to see that as a kick-start to the reform that they wish and need to take to make sure they're delivering the sort of service that they want to provide and that each of our communities expects as well. There are challenges around the country about our capacity to take on extra NHS patients, but, actually, that really is tied up with contractual reform. So, since she came into post, the chief dental officer has undertaken a much faster rate of reform within the contract here than prior to her arrival. I've encouraged her and empowered her to do so, and, actually, when you see the next statement on where we are with dentistry, I think Members will have a degree of optimism about the future, and I'm expecting to announce more in the autumn, depending on the evidence we've had. We now have an increased number of dental practices taking part in the contract reform programme. Far from being reluctant to do so, as a number of practices were, we're now having real enthusiasm from different people in order to change the way that they work, because, actually, they'd rather have greater capacity to do the right things, and this really is about providing the right care at the right time, rather than providing treatments that aren't evidence-based in a contract that rewards the wrong sort of behaviour.
So, if the Member will bear with me for a short period of time longer, I'll be able to make a statement to him and other Members about where we are and our expectation for the future.