Oral Question·Department of Health and Social Care
“If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.”
Tabled: 7 January 2026Answered: 13 January 2026
Asked by
Mr Jonathan Brash
Labour — Hartlepool
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Answer from Hansard
Stephen Kinnock
My hon. Friend is right that, although we are making progress on urgent treatment with the urgent dental access centre that he mentioned, there is a real challenge with new routine care in Hartlepool. We are looking to improve that unacceptable situation, which we inherited, by offering dentists £20,000 to work in underserved areas and making it a requirement for new dentists to practise in the NHS. However, he is right to point out that the situation is not acceptable and we have to improve it.