A £3m boost for dental services in North East and North Cumbria

Dental services in the North East and North Cumbria are set for a £3million boost thanks to a new plan that could provide an extra 27,000 appointments this year.

NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) – which has just taken on responsibility for commissioning the region's dental services – has today unveiled an initial plan that it says will help to address inequality in the most deprived communities.

The Primary Care Dental Access Recovery plan, which has been agreed in outline by the Board, aims to ‘protect, retain and stabilise’ local dental services, including urgent out of hours appointments.

It includes an additional £3million to support dentistry during the 2023/24 financial year, with a focus on patients with the greatest need in deprived communities. This will involve offering additional funding to dental practices, which the ICB says could create up to 27,000 extra appointments across the North East and North Cumbria.

Extra clinical treatment sessions will help practices to match anticipated periods of peak demand.

Dr Neil O'Brien, the ICB’s medical director, said: "We know that some patients have struggled to access dental services, particularly those with more complex needs or our looked after children.

“This work is at an early stage, but aims to increase support for our dental practices, help them retain skilled staff and increase the number of appointments across the North East and North Cumbria.”

Detailed planning will continue over the coming weeks, with the ICB aiming to approve a full plan by the autumn.