Improving dental access | News and events

On 1 April 2023, NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, our local Integrated Care Board (ICB), became responsible for the commissioning and management of NHS dental services in the area. We’re pleased that we’ve since been able to secure £6.1m in funding to help improve access to this service and support our communities. Alongside this local funding, the Government has confirmed that our area will also be one of 12 regions that will benefit from a new dental van to support rural communities.

We have an action plan in place to use the local funding to improve local people’s experiences of NHS dentistry. Our plans include:

• A ‘golden hello’ -  a sum of money to encourage newly qualified dentists, or dentists new to our area, to take on dental work in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This golden hello would be provided on the condition that a certain level of NHS dental activity is delivered for at least a year after receipt
• Additional orthodontics funding to reduce waiting lists, for children and young people
• Investing in special care to support people with complex needs, including people with physical, intellectual or mental disabilities
• Targeting health inequalities by focusing some of our investment in areas of high deprivation and high need
• More funding for additional capacity within high street dental services

Whilst we’re enacting this short-term action plan, we’re also working on our longer-term plans so that people can get the help they need, when they need it, now and in the future.