Scotland’s parliamentary committee dedicated to COVID-19 recovery has today launched a survey of Scotland’s dentists, aiming to better understand how NHS dentistry services have been impacted by the pandemic and what recovery looks like.

The Scottish parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee will survey Scotland’s dentists as part of its “snapshot inquiry” into how dental services are recovering.

Published in 2021, Scotland’s NHS Recovery Plan sets out Scottish government commitments to reduce high waiting times, address the workforce crisis and improve overall activity and delivery of services.

Commenting on the newly launched survey, the COVID-19 Recovery Committee Convener, Jim Fairlie MSP, said:

"The COVID-19 Recovery Committee wants 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.”

While the Recovery Plan promised to deliver substantially increased activity from pre-pandemic levels ‘as quickly as possible’ by 2026, it specified the immediate focus for NHS dentistry would be on ‘returning the sector to at least’ pre-COVID levels.

However, organisations representing clinicians and practitioners across Scotland raised concerns about the government setting unrealistic expectations.

Since publication, emails released to healthandcare.scot revealed a scramble to finalise the plan  and, earlier this year, Audit Scotland called for more transparency from the government on the reality of NHS recovery.

Now, this inquiry is set to “track progress” made by the government in relation to its NHS dentistry targets specifically and commitments to bring NHS dental services over and above pre-pandemic levels.

The survey invites dentists who provide NHS services to share their perspectives on and experiences with the recovery of services through an online form, available until Wednesday 31^st of May.

It comes as founder and CEO of Scotland’s largest dental group, Jim Hall, says NHS dentistry in Scotland is struggling with a shortage of dentists as some 160 dentists were lost amid graduation delays as a result of the pandemic.

Despite this, Mr Hall says NHS Scotland can overcome the challenges facing dentistry by working with the government – but says it is vital that patients are offered a choice without making financial assumptions.

Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson MSP, told healthandcare.scot that the government is making “tangible progress” on its Recovery Plan through “significant investment, targeted reform and dedicated innovation”.

The committee inquiry will also examine the impact of funding and the availability of equipment and improved ventilation in NHS dentistry practices on recovery and access to services in communities experiencing health inequalities.

Committee Convener, Jim Fairlie MSP, added:

“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.”

Read more: Aberdeen team to repurpose COVID test technology; A pharmacist on the frontline; Pandemic impact on cancer incidence in Scotland; Briefing: Cabinet Secretary plans for health and care

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