Topical Questions

Chris McDonald (Stockton North) (Lab) asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care about the shortage of NHS dentists in his constituency, with his constituent Mark unable to find a dentist for his 19-month-old child even after seven attempts. The Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, expressed regret for the situation and said he would be delighted to meet with Chris McDonald to discuss the challenges in the Stockton North area. Victoria Atkins (Louth and Horncastle) (Con), the shadow Secretary of State, congratulated the winners of the NHS parliamentary awards and then criticised the current Secretary of State for not answering her questions adequately. She pressed him on the delivery of the promised 40,000 more appointments and the impact of Labour's decision to slash winter fuel payments, which she claimed would add pressure to the NHS. The Secretary of State defended his record and accused the shadow Secretary of State of failing to acknowledge the budget challenges inherited from the previous government. Lola McEvoy (Darlington) (Lab) asked the Secretary of State to meet her to discuss a cross-departmental pilot in her constituency, bringing together different government departments to tackle pressures on child and adolescent mental health services. The Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock, responded positively, stating that he would be happy to meet her to discuss the matter further. Helen Morgan (North Shropshire) (LD) raised the issue of children not seeing a dentist for at least a year in England, and the underspend on dental funding in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin integrated health board. The Secretary of State acknowledged the problems and stated that the government would work to stand up 700,000 urgent and emergency dental appointments, as well as focus on prevention work for children in schools. Other MPs, including Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab), Blake Stephenson (Mid Bedfordshire) (Con), Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn) (Lab), Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con), Rebecca Long Bailey (Salford) (Ind), Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD), Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op), Jerome Mayhew (Broadland and Fakenham) (Con), Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op), Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con), Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham) (Lab), and Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con), also raised various health-related issues, which were addressed by the relevant ministers.