Holyrood Committee seeks practitioners’ views on Scotland’s NHS dentistry recovery
The Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee has launched a survey of Scotland’s dentists as part of a ‘snapshot inquiry‘ examining the recovery of NHS dentistry services.
The inquiry will track progress by the Scottish Government on the aims set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026, which includes a commitment to return Scotland’s NHS dentistry services to pre-pandemic levels.
Dentists who provide NHS services are being invited to share their views and experiences on the recovery of services through an on-line survey which runs from today to Wednesday 31 May.
The inquiry will also consider the impact of additional funding for equipment and ventilation in NHS dentistry practices and the availability of access to services in communities experiencing health inequalities.
Commenting, Committee Convener, Jim Fairlie MSP said: “The COVID-19 Recovery Committee want to get the root of the issues facing Scotland’s NHS dental recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
“This inquiry will scrutinise the Scottish Government’s commitment to improve the provision of dental services as set out in the Recovery Plan.
“Scotland’s NHS dentists, who work daily on the front-line, are best placed to tell us how services are recovering, and we are encouraging them to share their experiences and views directly with Committee to inform our scrutiny and assist us in tracking progress towards recovery.”
Prior to launching the inquiry the Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery and Scottish Heath Boards on 27th April 2023, copies of the letters can be found here.
The Committee is expected to hold three evidence sessions starting on the 15th June gathering views on patient perspectives and those of health boards and government agencies.
In June the Committee will also take further evidence from dentist representative organisations and the Scottish Government.
Comments are closed here.