Written questions by Macdonald.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of challenges accessing dental care on pregnant women.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Norwich North constituency, this is the NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB.Pregnant women and new mothers are entitled to free NHS dental care. The following table show the total number of Courses of Treatment delivered nationally to new mothers and pregnant women over the last five years:Patient type2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Expectant mother304,536104,659204,229215,528211,935Mother of child born in the year before treatment started471,033144,737289,624330,000321,718Source: data is published by the NHS Business Services Authority, and can be found at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324We do not hold data for each region.

What data his Department holds on the number of (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers receiving free dental treatment on the NHS (i) nationally and (ii) by region.

Pregnant women and new mothers are entitled to free National Health Service dental care. The following table shows the total number of Courses of Treatment delivered nationally to new mothers and pregnant women over the last five years:Patient type2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Expectant mother304,536104,659204,229215,528211,935Mother of child born in the year before treatment started471,033144,737289,624330,000321,718Source: Data is published by the NHS Business Services Authority, and is available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324We do not hold data for each region.

How many people are affected by long covid in (a) Norfolk, (b) the East of England and (c) England.

The most recent data from the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period of 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated 1.8 million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection.For the same period, approximately 200,000 people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in the East of England reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection.

What steps he is taking to ensure that people with Alzheimer’s disease in the East of England receive (a) an early diagnosis and (b) swift treatment.

Improving dementia care is one of four workstreams delivering NHS England’s Ageing Well Strategy. The dementia workstream is looking at improving early diagnosis and early access to care and support for patients, families, and carers, as well as taking preventative action through public health messaging, promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and expanding NHS Health Checks. The workstream is also looking at improving local services and delivering an integrated approach to care across statutory, voluntary, community, and social enterprises, as well as other services, and providing dementia training for the workforce.A Norfolk and Suffolk system-wide Dementia Round Table event was held in September 2024 to identify what changes need to be made to the pathway in order to meet the needs of a complex patient group in a rural geography. The findings of this event have since evolved into a set of priorities focussed on the review of the clinical model and commissioning arrangements.Norfolk and Waveney’s statutory partners have signed-up to a Dementia Charter and have agreed to a set of best practice principles and way of working which will mean that people using dementia services will have a smooth transition between services and organisations.In the last four months, community diagnostic centres have opened at the James Paget Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which will help to make it easier and speed-up the time it takes for people to get diagnosis scans. A further diagnostic centre will be opening at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital early next year.

What guidance the Government provides to local authorities on the inspection of school ceilings.

Responsibility for keeping buildings safe and well-maintained lies with responsible bodies, such as local authorities and academy trusts, along with their schools. The department supports them by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.The department provides good estate management for schools (GEMS), which is a manual and toolkit to support responsible bodies and schools with their estate management. The guidance can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools.The guidance contains a range of information that can help organisations to manage their school estate, including strategic estate management, maintenance and health and safety compliance. This includes guidance on carrying out condition surveys and how to procure professional services, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/understanding-land-and-buildings#assessing-the-condition-of-your-estate and here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/planning-and-organising-your-estate-resources#buying-goods-works-and-services.