I thank the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee for the report on dentistry in Wales. NHS dentistry in Wales is in crisis. Less than one in five practices in Wales are taking on new adult patients, and just over a quarter of practices are offering appointments to new child patients. We regularly learn of patients making round trips of 100 miles to see a dentist. It's not unusual to see practices who open up to new patients have 10-hour queues outside the door and there have also been extreme cases of people doing DIY dentistry because they can't see an NHS dentist and certainly can't afford private treatment.

As the committee quite rightly highlight, the main culprit is the dental contract, which sets unrealistic targets and quotas, preventing dentists from treating more patients. The NHS general dental services contract also discourages dentists from taking on high-needs patients, particularly in areas of deprivation where there is already poor access to the dental services. Not only is the UDA system not fit for purpose, it has also actively harmed oral health in Wales. 

I am pleased, therefore, that the Welsh Government has listened to the committee and agreed to scrap the target system rather than tweaking it as they did in 2011 and 2015. I would go further and urge the Welsh Government to ensure the new UDA arrangements also prevent dental practices from insisting on six-monthly checkups and abide by NICE guidelines. The chief dental officer for England said that, in the majority of cases, check-ups are only necessary every 12 or 24 months, and this will not only ensure patients aren't forced to pay for unnecessary treatment, but will allow practices to take on extra patients because this time will now be freed up. So, hopefully, the improvements put forward by the committee will put an end to long trips, longer waits and instances of people pulling their own teeth with a pair of household pliers. Thank you.