Member Question from Fran McCabe (Healthwatch Brighton & Hove Co-optee

BH HOSC and Healthwatch’s across Sussex have identified serious deficits in the NHS dental service for routine and urgent care during the pandemic: which has left patients in pain and without dental check-ups. This has been continually raised by Healthwatch with NHS England who commission the service. The Chair of HOSC has also asked NHSE twice to attend HOSC and they have refused. Would the Chair write jointly with Healthwatch to identify again the issues and express our concerns that they are not willing to attend HOSC to be scrutinised?