Written question asked by Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 24 November 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 26 November 2025. It was answered by Stephen Kinnock (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Cleft Palate: Medical Treatments

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure no one is denied treatment outright because of their cleft.

Answer: Patients born with cleft should have care plans tailored to meet their individual needs, with support from multi-disciplinary teams where necessary. Access to dental care is an important part of this and we recognise that some groups of patients may find it difficult to access. We have asked integrated care boards to commission extra urgent dental appointments and are also committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need and improving access.

Secondary information