Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 15 June 2022.
Minister, I share John Griffiths's concerns—primary services aren't keeping up with the housing developments in Newport and across my region of South Wales East. Constituents in my region are rightly concerned about the level of access, particularly to dental services. We lost 150 dental practices in two years from 2019 to 2021. In my own region of South Wales East, we're seeing a concerning picture where numerous constituents are now reporting waiting times of over a year for a check-up, if they are even able to join an NHS practice. I welcome your comments on the Newport hub, but this is a serious concern for many people across my region and Wales. Minister, the situation has deteriorated so badly, how do you plan on increasing the number of NHS dental practices and retain those NHS dentists in Wales? Thank you.