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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 12 July 2025
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Displaying 788 contributions

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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

I will reflect on that, but Tom is shaking his head.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Public dental services are a very important part of our dental tapestry in Scotland and, as you highlighted, they provide emergency support. In areas where there has been an issue with high-street dentistry, we have worked closely with health boards by working directly with the public dental service. I can reference NHS Shetland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in that regard. We are considering how we can support them, whether it is providing funding for additional dentistry support or supporting them in other ways.

That is the work that we have been doing to date, and it will continue with the new budget. As part of the funding in the new budget, £100 million has been set aside to support entry into primary care, and we will look to spend it in dentistry to support access.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Absolutely. That reflects my experience with regard to the graveyard that was around the museum that I worked in.

It is clear that South Ayrshire Council did fantastic work in response to the recent flooding of graves. It has done proportionate work to support families who were severely impacted and distressed by the flooding incident that happened there.

It is very much the case that local authorities have to look at gravestones and do the appropriate, proportionate work to them—whether that means, as you described, staking them, or looking at ones that might be of cultural or historical significance and perhaps doing more. We do not expect the regulations to change the work that councils are currently doing with regard to graveyards and gravestones.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

It is important that people are registered with a dentist, because timely access is important if they need to see a dentist. However, there is also emergency access to dentistry within hospitals, for people who need that.

It is important that we have the right workforce within our practices. We are now very much concentrating on ensuring that we have the right number of dentists. As Tom Ferris indicated, that means not only dentists but dentistry teams, so we are looking at the importance of dental therapists and ensuring that there is the right training and governance to allow patients to see the appropriate person in a dental practice and at the right time.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

We recognise that we need to improve that. I pass over to Tom Ferris to give you the details.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Yes, that is absolutely part of the challenge. Prior to Brexit, about 50 per cent of rural dentists came from Europe, but that has changed.

Indeed, one of the major items on the agenda of our four-nations meeting about two weeks ago was how to increase the pipeline of international dentists into Scotland and the UK. Sadly, some of that is reserved, but I know that the previous Conservative Government, along with the General Dental Council, which runs the exams, carried out a consultation to see whether there was some way of improving how and where the exams were delivered, to allow all four nations to increase the number of dentists available to look after people’s health.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

That is where my portfolio intersects with different areas. Family nurse practitioners are doing amazing work in deprived areas in supporting new mums and young mums with various elements of their healthcare, as well as income and various other things. Following on from what Tom Ferris said, the introduction of a toothbrush to the baby box, which people asked for previously, is an important recognition of the importance that the Scottish Government places on healthcare and ensuring that children, young people and their families are much more aware of the importance of cleaning their teeth.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

I will touch on payment reform, part of which has involved listening to what dentists have been saying about preventative work. As Tim McDonnell referred to, it is a matter of allowing dentists to spend more time with their patients to ensure that they get the prevention message. For example, my dentist on Islay attended the Islay show with a model of a tooth to explain that. That slightly left-field prevention message is coming across, and dentists are absolutely at the core of that. I pass to Tom Ferris.

11:15  

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Dentists on the high street run their own businesses, and remuneration is determined by the owner of that practice. If you are talking specifically about those in the public dental sector, I ask Tom Ferris to answer.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Yes—you are on a roll.