Govt confirms FREE Urgent Dental Appointment from April 2025: Govt new plan to Help Patients in Pain

Govt confirms FREE Urgent Dental Appointment from April 2025: The UK government has announced 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments to address the ongoing NHS dentistry crisis. These appointments will prioritize patients in pain, particularly in “dental deserts”, where access to NHS dentists is severely limited. This move is the first step in the government’s long-term plan to rebuild NHS dental services and improve children’s oral health through supervised toothbrushing initiatives.

Urgent Dental Appointments: What’s Changing?

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock confirmed that the new urgent appointments will begin rolling out from April 2025 across all regions of England. These appointments will:

• Target areas with the worst access to NHS dentists, such as Norfolk and Waveney, where there are only 31 NHS dentists per 100,000 people.
• Help patients in pain, including those with infections, broken teeth, or urgent bridge repairs.
• Be available via NHS 111 for those without a regular dentist.
• Ensure local NHS leaders prioritize the most urgent cases.

Why Are These Urgent Appointments Needed?

Access to NHS dentistry has dramatically declined, with a 1 in 4 failure rate for patients trying to secure an appointment over the past two years. This crisis has led to shocking scenes, such as hundreds queuing overnight at St Paul’s Dental Practice in Bristol in early 2024, where police had to intervene due to overwhelming demand.

Fixing NHS Dentistry: Key Government Initiatives

1. Scrapping the “New Patient Premium”

• Introduced in 2024, the £88 million New Patient Premium failed to improve patient access.
• The number of new NHS dental patients actually dropped by 3% despite the funding.
• The government is now redirecting resources to boost urgent dental care instead.

2. Recruiting More NHS Dentists in “Dental Deserts”

• A £20,000 “Golden Hello” bonus is being offered to attract dentists to understaffed areas.
• 240 roles were made available, but none were filled until July 2024.
• Since then, 68 positions have been filled, with more expected in 2025.

3. Expanding Children’s Oral Health Support

• Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 5-9.
• Over 20% of five-year-olds show signs of tooth decay, with rates twice as high in deprived areas.
• A new Supervised Toothbrushing Scheme will be introduced for 3-5-year-olds, ensuring children in deprived areas receive proper oral hygiene education.

Government’s Plan for NHS Dentistry Reform

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock emphasized the long-term goal of rebuilding NHS dentistry, stating:

“We promised we would end the misery of people unable to get urgent dental care, and today we’re starting to deliver on that commitment.”

The government’s Plan for Change includes:

• Urgent appointment expansion to provide immediate relief to patients in pain.
• NHS contract reform to make NHS work more appealing to dentists.
• A greater focus on prevention, including the Supervised Toothbrushing Scheme.

Reactions from Dental and Health Experts

Jason Wong, Chief Dental Officer for England

“Dentists are working hard, but too many people struggle to access NHS services. The extra 700,000 urgent appointments will make it easier for those most in need to get treatment.”

Jacob Lant, CEO of National Voices

“NHS dentistry is in crisis, and while these extra appointments are a good first step, long-term reforms are needed to fix the system.”

Urgent care appointments to be delivered by individual integrated care boards

Region	ICB	Additional urgent care appointments to be purchased
East of England	Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB	6,041
East of England	Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB	14,195
East of England	Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB	5,712
East of England	Mid and South Essex ICB	6,098
East of England	Norfolk and Waveney ICB	21,520
East of England	Suffolk and North East Essex ICB	15,413
London	North Central London ICB	8,976
London	North East London ICB	17,452
London	North West London ICB	11,445
London	South East London ICB	8,616
London	South West London ICB	6,402
Midlands	Birmingham and Solihull ICB	9,005
Midlands	Black Country ICB	14,473
Midlands	Coventry and Warwickshire ICB	2,740
Midlands	Derby and Derbyshire ICB	16,298
Midlands	Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB	12,970
Midlands	Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB	10,137
Midlands	Lincolnshire ICB	12,017
Midlands	Northamptonshire ICB	17,826
Midlands	Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB	24,360
Midlands	Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB	7,408
Midlands	Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB	16,190
North East and Yorkshire	Humber and North Yorkshire ICB	27,196
North East and Yorkshire	North East and North Cumbria ICB	57,559
North East and Yorkshire	South Yorkshire ICB	19,983
North East and Yorkshire	West Yorkshire ICB	32,312
North West	Cheshire and Merseyside ICB	46,617
North West	Greater Manchester ICB	17,897
North West	Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB	20,822
South East	Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB	15,454
South East	Frimley ICB	6,626
South East	Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB	30,032
South East	Kent and Medway ICB	20,319
South East	Surrey Heartlands ICB	6,585
South East	Sussex ICB	26,546
South West	Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB	13,990
South West	Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB	19,076
South West	Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB	10,910
South West	Devon ICB	24,269
South West	Dorset ICB	13,569
South West	Gloucestershire ICB	11,464
South West	Somerset ICB	13,498

Total additional appointments, England: 700,018.

The UK government is taking bold action to fix the NHS dentistry crisis by expanding urgent appointments, scrapping failed policies, and investing in prevention programs like supervised toothbrushing for children. While these measures mark a critical first step, experts agree that sustained efforts will be necessary to ensure long-term improvements in dental care access for all.

Source

FAQ