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Chamber and committees

Crisis in NHS Dentistry

  • Submitted by: Willie Rennie, North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats.
  • Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2024
  • Motion type: Motion For Debate
  • Motion reference: S6M-12215
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 21 February 2024

Motions as amended

That the Parliament recognises the significant challenges in dental services, compounded by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation, and Brexit on public services, dentistry and the available dental workforce across the UK; welcomes that the Scottish Government has confirmed the sustainment and improvement of access to NHS dentistry as a strategic priority; acknowledges that payment reform, as introduced on 1 November 2023, is the most significant change to NHS dentistry since its inception and the most meaningful intervention to realise the Scottish Government’s ambition at this time; recognises that payment reform correctly prioritises public resources on securing access to NHS dentistry by incentivising delivery of NHS care through improved fees; is confident that the changes are the appropriate basis for further reforms to NHS dentistry, which will be focused on improvements in workforce and access to services across Scotland; thanks NHS dentists and all staff working across Scotland for their continued commitment to the sector and provision of a vital service to the people of Scotland, and recognises that the world-leading Childsmile programme, which was implemented by the last Scottish Labour Party-led administration in 2006, has been widely recognised as one of the most effective public health interventions of the devolved era and has transformed child dental health.


Vote

Result 84 for, 32 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote Agreed

Scottish National Party

For
  • George Adam
  • Karen Adam
  • Clare Adamson
  • Alasdair Allan
  • Tom Arthur
  • Colin Beattie
  • Keith Brown
  • Siobhian Brown
  • Stephanie Callaghan
  • Willie Coffey
  • Angela Constance
  • Graeme Dey
  • Natalie Don-Innes
  • Bob Doris
  • James Dornan
  • Jackie Dunbar
  • Annabelle Ewing
  • Fergus Ewing
  • Jim Fairlie
  • Joe FitzPatrick
  • Kate Forbes
  • Kenneth Gibson
  • Mairi Gougeon
  • Neil Gray
  • Emma Harper
  • Clare Haughey
  • Jamie Hepburn
  • Fiona Hyslop
  • Bill Kidd
  • Richard Lochhead
  • Gordon MacDonald
  • Fulton MacGregor
  • Rona Mackay
  • Ruth Maguire
  • Gillian Martin
  • John Mason
  • Christina McKelvie
  • Paul McLennan
  • Stuart McMillan
  • Marie McNair
  • Jenni Minto
  • Audrey Nicoll
  • Angus Robertson
  • Emma Roddick
  • Shirley-Anne Somerville
  • Collette Stevenson
  • Kaukab Stewart
  • Kevin Stewart
  • Nicola Sturgeon
  • John Swinney
  • Michelle Thomson
  • Maree Todd
  • David Torrance
  • Evelyn Tweed
  • Elena Whitham
Against
0
Abstained
0
Did not vote
  • Jenny Gilruth
  • Christine Grahame
  • Ben Macpherson
  • Michael Matheson
  • Màiri McAllan
  • Ivan McKee
  • Shona Robison
  • Humza Yousaf

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

For
0
Against
  • Jeremy Balfour
  • Miles Briggs
  • Alexander Burnett
  • Jackson Carlaw
  • Finlay Carson
  • Sharon Dowey
  • Tim Eagle
  • Russell Findlay
  • Murdo Fraser
  • Meghan Gallacher
  • Maurice Golden
  • Dr Pam Gosal MBE
  • Jamie Greene
  • Dr Sandesh Gulhane
  • Jamie Halcro Johnston
  • Rachael Hamilton
  • Craig Hoy
  • Liam Kerr
  • Stephen Kerr
  • Douglas Lumsden
  • Roz McCall
  • Edward Mountain
  • Oliver Mundell
  • Douglas Ross
  • Graham Simpson
  • Liz Smith
  • Alexander Stewart
  • Sue Webber
  • Annie Wells
  • Tess White
  • Brian Whittle
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

Scottish Labour

For
  • Claire Baker
  • Neil Bibby
  • Sarah Boyack
  • Foysol Choudhury
  • Rhoda Grant
  • Mark Griffin
  • Daniel Johnson
  • Monica Lennon
  • Richard Leonard
  • Michael Marra
  • Pauline McNeill
  • Carol Mochan
  • Paul O'Kane
  • Alex Rowley
  • Colin Smyth
  • Paul Sweeney
  • Martin Whitfield
Against
  • Katy Clark
Abstained
0
Did not vote
  • Jackie Baillie
  • Pam Duncan-Glancy
  • Anas Sarwar
  • Mercedes Villalba

Scottish Green Party

For
  • Ariane Burgess
  • Maggie Chapman
  • Ross Greer
  • Patrick Harvie
  • Gillian Mackay
  • Mark Ruskell
  • Lorna Slater
Against
0
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

Scottish Liberal Democrats

For
  • Alex Cole-Hamilton
  • Liam McArthur
  • Willie Rennie
  • Beatrice Wishart
Against
0
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

No Party Affiliation

For
0
Against
0
Abstained
0
Did not vote
  • Alison Johnstone

Alba Party

For
  • Ash Regan
Against
0
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

Original motion text

That the Parliament believes that there is a crisis in NHS dentistry; considers that it is deeply concerning that people are finding it increasingly difficult to see an NHS dentist locally, if at all, and in some cases are resorting to DIY dentistry; notes concerns that changes to the payment system, which came into force on 1 November 2023, will do little to stop the exodus of NHS dentists; recalls that the Scottish Government committed in 2021 to abolishing all dentistry charges by the end of the current parliamentary session, but that charges for NHS patients have since increased substantially and been expanded to cover emergency appointments and denture repairs; believes that there must be decisive action to resolve this crisis, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to rewrite the failing NHS Recovery Plan to prioritise workforce planning, boost the number of dentists taking on NHS patients and increase the number of appointments available.


Accepted amendments

Motion ref. S6M-12215.1

Crisis in NHS Dentistry - Amendment 1 - Amendment

Submitted by: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Supported by: Carol Mochan
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Result 85 for, 31 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote Agreed


Motion ref. S6M-12215.2

Crisis in NHS Dentistry - Amendment 2 - Amendment

Submitted by: Neil Gray, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Supported by: Jenni Minto, Maree Todd
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Result 63 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote Agreed


Amendments that have not been voted on

Motion ref. S6M-12215.3

Crisis in NHS Dentistry - Amendment 3 - Amendment

Submitted by: Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, February 21, 2024