Teesside Family Dental Care News | July 2025
Many readers will remember the widely publicised reopening of St Pauls Dental Practice in Bristol. Once closed by BUPA, the practice became a symbol of community determination, attracting large queues when it resumed NHS services in 2024.
The long queues drew national attention — including a visit from then-Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting. At the time, he pledged swift action on the dental crisis, promising that Labour would bring dentists to the Department of Health on the first Monday after taking office.
“We’ve got to fix the fundamentals… until we do, people won’t see NHS dentistry return to what it once was.” — Wes Streeting
But more than a year into Labour’s term, those early promises appear to have stalled. In a recent interview with LBC, St Pauls’ principal dentist, Dr. Shivani Bhandari, voiced her frustration.
“Nothing has changed. The waiting queues are even worse. Was it just for the cameras?” — Dr. Shivani Bhandari
Although the government’s 10-Year Health Plan includes a pledge to reform the NHS dental contract and require new graduates to spend three years in NHS service, those policies haven’t yet addressed the severe workforce shortage — with nearly 3,000 NHS dental positions still unfilled.
Dr. Bhandari, who also serves as a trustee of International Dental Organisation UK, highlighted the additional bottleneck faced by international dentists. Many qualified overseas graduates remain unable to practise due to delays and backlogs in the ORE (Overseas Registration Exam), which they must pass to join the UK dental register. According to the General Dental Council (GDC), demand for exam places has surged by 400% since 2022, and reforms are being considered to address the issue.
Meanwhile, The Mirror struck a more hopeful tone, describing recent government announcements as a turning point. Under the headline “Major NHS Change Will See Everyone Get a Dentist Within Four Years,” it hailed the government’s commitment to contract reform as a win for its Dentists for All campaign.
Stephen Kinnock, Minister for Care, acknowledged the scale of the challenge:
“We’re on a burning platform.”
He echoed Streeting’s pledge to deliver reform by the end of this Parliament, with a long-term vision of fully transformed NHS dentistry by 2035.
However, Mr Kinnock made it clear that the Treasury will not fund a return to the comprehensive service levels of the past. Instead, any new contract will likely rely on existing budgets — including funds reclaimed from underperforming contracts — and focus resources on urgent care and priority groups.
“We have to define NHS dentistry around the resources we realistically have. That means working within the current financial settlement.”
While the government insists reform is on the way, dental professionals on the front lines — like Dr. Bhandari — remain sceptical. Without immediate, tangible support, the pressure on NHS dentistry continues to mount, and the optimism of last year’s headlines is fading fast.