MP vows to keep fighting for dental school in Lincolnshire

Sleaford and North Hykeham MP Dr Caroline Johnson (Conservative) said that the ‘absence’ of a dental school in the East Midlands was a major concern for many of her constituents.

The University of Lincoln launched theLincolnshire Institute of Dental and Oral Health earlier this year but is unable to currently offer a full dentistry degree programme.

Just one in four people in Lincolnshire can access NHS dental care, according to the university, with some parts of the county having some of the lowest dental care rates in the country.

The MP has now requested to meet with Government officials to discuss how the dental school can be progressed.

Dr Johnson said the University of Lincoln has made “excellent progress” in developing the resources and capacity to establish a dental school.

She explained that the university is already delivering a new BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, alongside a foundation programme designed to help dental nurses and other healthcare professionals retrain and develop new skills.

Dr Johnson added that the university is continuing to work through the “necessary approval processes” with the General Dental Council and the Privy Council required to set up a “full dentistry degree programme”.

She added: “I am continuing to work closely with the university and Lincolnshire MPs to press ministers to provide the necessary funding to support the first and ongoing intakes of dental students.

“I am pleased that following our most recent letter to the new health secretary this summer, the minister for health innovation has agreed to meet with me, the university and other Lincolnshire MPs to continue the discussions we began with previous health ministers.

“I look forward to meeting with the minister and continuing to make the case for a Lincolnshire dental school.

“It would play a vital role in strengthening the local dental workforce, improving access to NHS dentistry and increasing the number of appointments available to patients across Lincolnshire.”

A University of Lincoln spokespersonsaid that the county had a ‘significant need’ for a sustainable local dental workforce and that its plans for dental school are at an early stage.

The spokesman said: “Earlier this year, we established the Lincolnshire Institute for Dental and Oral Health, and this month welcomed our first students onto the new BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy and Gateway programmes.

“This represents an important first step in developing local education, training, and career opportunities.

“Our aim now is to establish a dental school. In doing so we want to develop a model of dental education that is designed around Lincolnshire, connecting the University with NHS services, primary care and communities across the county, and providing students with experience of the rural, coastal, and underserved populations they may ultimately serve.

“There is good evidence that where healthcare professionals train influences where they choose to work.

“Providing opportunities to study dentistry locally therefore gives us an important opportunity to grow and retain a more sustainable, locally connected workforce.

“The university is currently progressing its application for Dental Authority Status and engaging with the General Dental Council as we develop plans for a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme.”

The spokesperson added that the East Mindlands is now the biggest area of the country without a dental school – and that a Lincoln dental school could be a ‘hub’ that supports the ‘entire region’.

In June this year, the university launched a toothpaste ice cream initiative in which representatives toured part of Lincolnshire in a bid to spread awareness of the need for a dental school in the county and to tackle a so-called ‘dental desert’.

It developed a ‘toothpaste inspired’ vanilla ice cream with a mint sauce and handed them out for free to visitors on its tour of the county, which started in Skegness and finished at the Lincolnshire Show, before the officials headed to Westminster to raise the campaign with ministers.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government is delivering the biggest expansion of dental school places in 20 years, targeted where demand is greatest, and requiring newly trained dentists to spend three years in the NHS.

“These changes are prioritising patients with the greatest needs, improving access across the country and supporting NHS dentists.

“We’re determined to go further and are working closely with the sector, including the British Dental Association, to deliver long-term reform.”

The spokesperson added that the minister responsible for dental health, James Frith (Labour), will be meeting with Lincolnshire MPs to discuss the issue ‘in the near future’.