The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that more NHS dental appointments are needed in coastal communities.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to reform the NHS dental contract to bring more dentists back to the NHS from the private sector, and adopt a flexible commissioning approach to meet patients’ needs, particularly in coastal areas.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Steve Darling, Official Report, 15 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 1685.]
[P003242]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Mr James Frith):
Since July 2024, the Government have been rebuilding a broken NHS dentistry system. We have delivered just under 3 million more dental treatments in 2025-26, compared with the year before the 2024 election, and reduced the underspend from £392 million in 2023-24 to just £36 million by 2024-25, maximising the treatments provided for taxpayers’ money. In 2025-26, £37.6 million dental courses of treatment were delivered, with 34% being delivered to children. Four million urgent dental appointments were delivered, more than any previous year under the current contract.
The Government are aware, however, of the challenges that some patients face in accessing an NHS dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. This year we introduced reforms to the NHS dental contract that prioritise patients with the greatest need, incentivise prevention, provide better support for those requiring complex care, and require NHS dentists to deliver a set amount of urgent care.
To improve access to NHS dentistry further, we are introducing a minimum NHS service period for newly qualified dentists, as set out in the 10-year health plan, and we have expanded training capacity through 50 additional dental school places at Portsmouth and the University of East Anglia, ensuring that every NHS region will now have a dental school.
The Government have committed to strengthening NHS dentistry, including through changes to the NHS dental contract, to support better access for patients.