24,000 extra urgent dental appointments for Devon welcomed by Plymouth MPs

A government announcement promising 24,000 additional urgent and emergency dental appointments across Devon has been welcomed by Plymouth’s Labour MPs, marking a major step toward addressing the region’s ongoing NHS dentistry crisis.

The initiative is part of a nationwide plan that will see 700,000 extra urgent appointments rolled out across England, as confirmed by Health Minister Stephen Kinnock. The move directs Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to establish thousands of urgent dental slots over the next year, prioritising so-called "dental deserts" - areas with severe shortages of NHS dental services, such as Plymouth.

Plymouth has been particularly hard-hit by the collapse of NHS dental services, with more than 22,000 patients currently on the waiting list. The lack of available NHS appointments has left many residents unable to access routine care, often forcing them to turn to private treatment or seek emergency care.

Previous government interventions, such as the New Patient Premium introduced in the 2024 Dental Recovery Plan, failed to resolve the issue. The scheme, which cost £88 million, was recently scrapped after being deemed ineffective.

The announcement of new urgent appointments has been welcomed as a long-overdue lifeline for residents struggling to access NHS dental care.

Fred Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View, hailed the announcement as a victory for local patients, stating: “This is fantastic news for people in Plymouth. Last year, I promised that a Labour government would deliver extra urgent NHS dental appointments, and today’s announcement shows we are delivering on that promise. Dentistry in Plymouth is in crisis. There is no quick fix, but with a Labour council and government working hard to tackle the issue, we are making real progress."

He also spoke of the new dental practice set to open in Plymouth city centre, created through a partnership between Peninsula Dental School and Plymouth City Council.

Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, was also very pleased with the announcement: “The last government broke NHS dentistry in Plymouth, and these extra appointments are an important step forward in fixing it. The new dental clinic opening in the city centre is another vital step, something I’ve been pushing for alongside Peninsula Dental School and Plymouth City Council since I was elected. There is still much more to be done, and I will continue campaigning until everyone in Plymouth has access to NHS dentistry."

The extra urgent appointments form part of a broader effort to reform NHS dental care across England, ensuring that patients in areas with the greatest shortages can access timely treatment.

With the new Plymouth dental clinic set to open soon and additional urgent slots being rolled out, local leaders are hopeful that these measures will bring long-awaited relief to thousands of residents who have struggled to access basic dental care.

However, both MPs and healthcare leaders acknowledge that long-term solutions, such as increasing NHS dental contracts, recruiting more dentists, and improving accessibility, will be essential to fully resolving the crisis.