James Wild MP has secured a ministerial commitment that the government plans to shortly issue the direction needed to unlock new dental training places which the University of East Anglia (UEA) is keen to apply for.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Minister of State for Care said that, after months of delays, the government is preparing the direction the Office for Students needs to adjust funding limits and open the competition for new training positions, with advice expected from officials later this week.
The region currently has just one dentist for every 3,177 people, and Healthwatch Norfolk reports 60% of patients seeking NHS dental care over the past two years could not secure an appointment. The UEA received General Dental Council approval in 2024 and is ready to deliver 40 undergraduate places annually but the competition cannot open until the ministerial direction is issued.
Local training is essential to addressing the region’s long-term shortages, and with research showing that a third of UEA medical graduates stay in the area after completing their studies, new dental training places at UEA would provide a credible route to strengthening the workforce over time.
Speaking in the House of Commons, James Wild MP asked:
“The Minister told the Health and Social Care Committee that the spending envelope for dentistry would be confirmed by the end of the summer at the latest. Is the Office for Students still waiting for a ministerial direction to launch that competition for new places, so that UEA can bid along with others and so that we can get training places in Norfolk for the first time?”
The Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, replied:
“The hon. Gentleman is right: it is the Government's responsibility to give a steer to the Office for Students, and we are very close to being able to put that together. I am expecting some advice from my officials later in the week, and I shall be happy to keep the hon. Gentleman updated on further progress.”
James has consistently championed the case for a dental school at UEA and has repeatedly called on ministers to act. Today’s statement is positive and indicates the government is now preparing to move forward.
