Access to healthcare is something most of us take for granted, yet for many in our community, NHS dentistry remains frustratingly out of reach. I understand the concerns that residents have raised about the difficulty of securing appointments, and I am grateful to those who have taken the time to share their experiences. Being able to see a dentist promptly and reliably should not be a luxury - it is a basic part of a functioning healthcare system.
It is important that we are honest about the scale of the challenge. Problems with NHS dentistry are not confined to one area and they have not admittedly started overnight, but they are particularly acute in rural communities such as ours. A significant proportion of people who are not visiting a dentist report that they simply cannot find one. There is a clear and urgent need to increase access to appointments in the areas that are currently most underserved.
At the heart of this issue is workforce capacity. Without enough dentists practicing locally, access will remain limited regardless of wider policy changes. That is why efforts to expand training opportunities in our region are so important. I have been working alongside Lincolnshire MP colleagues to support a cross-party campaign to establish a Lincoln Dental School at the University of Lincoln. Having dentists training and hopefully staying locally is one of the most practical steps we can take to address persistent shortages.
Encouragingly, this is a proposal taking shape. The University’s ‘Strong Roots’ campaign sets out a clear vision for bringing a dental school to the area, building on existing investment in training facilities. Recent discussions in Parliament, including a meeting with the University and the Chief Dental Officer for England, have helped move this proposal forward. This builds on the opening of the University’s new Institute of Dental and Oral Health, which has already begun training students in dental hygiene and therapy - a positive development, but one that must be expanded if we are to meet the full scale of local need.
It is now for the Government to decide whether to support the training of dentists in our area. Alongside other Lincolnshire MPs, I have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to press the case for allocating dental school places to support this initiative. On the back of this, just this week, we also met with the Health Minister responsible for dentistry to further make the case.
None of this is about placing blame or overstating the issue, but about recognising a clear gap in provision and progressing with a solution. Without increasing the number of dentists and improving access, many residents will continue to struggle to receive basic care. At the same time, we must ensure that those young people in our excellent local schools who want to train in dentistry have viable opportunities to do so without needing to leave the region.
Improving NHS dentistry will require sustained effort, but practical steps like expanding local training offer a credible path forward. I will continue working with colleagues and local partners to push for progress, with the aim of ensuring that everyone in our area can access the care they need, when they need it.
