Discussions between key stakeholders in the delivery of dental provision centred around how universities can work more closely with the NHS to solve the growing need for dental care nationally and locally.
The round table event was co-hosted by Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy (who represents people living near the dental school) and the University of Bristol’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Evelyn Welch. It also included Bristol South MP Karin Smyth, Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) as well as the MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, Claire Hazelgrove, and representatives from the NHS, local government and the University of Bristol.
It was organised by the Russell Group through its Healthier Communities 2030 commitment, for which 24 research-intensive universities, including Bristol, have pledged to strengthen the NHS and public health system by expanding training, widening access to health careers, and accelerating innovation through partnership.
During the discussion which centred around partnerships and collaboration, attendees agreed that institutions in the city have to work together to solve this issue and discussed a ‘one city’ approach with everyone in the room pledging their service to local people in Bristol and the surrounding areas.
Overarching themes that came out of the discussion was an ambition to get other cities to emulate how Bristol is leading the way in this area, how to keep dental graduates to stay and practice locally, working directly with neighbourhoods in the city, and how to improve access to services and education to prevent instances of so-called ‘DIY dentistry’.
There was also a focus on wider lifestyle factors that influence poor dental outcomes including how to reduce sugar intake in schools, setting healthier habits a lot earlier and different ways to get the message out to young people on the importance of dental care – this included using footballers and other high profile partners to talk to young people about sugar intake rather than dentists.
Russell Group universities are convening similar events across the UK over the coming months. The insights from these - including the discussion at Bristol - will be used to identify examples of good practice and practical suggestions to help improve health outcomes, which will be shared with local stakeholders and national policymakers later this year.
Bristol Dental School moved to its new premises in Avon Street, in September 2023. The state-of-the-art dental school is part of the University’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
In the 2024/25 academic year alone, students and staff delivered over 54,500 free dental appointments, equivalent to 9% of the NHS dental appointments in Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire that year.
Elsewhere, Bristol Dental School is helping to improve children’s oral health in underserved areas, with outreach visits to local primary schools generating 80–100 self-referrals per visit and delivering dental appointments to over 1,500 children, many of whom had never seen a dentist before.
Colleagues have also created new care pathways for marginalised groups, including people experiencing homelessness and strengthened public health in care homes, where 140 dental students have trained over 150 carers across 17 homes, improving oral health knowledge and hygiene practices for around 700 residents. The School’s Social Impact Report 2026 demonstrates the scale of this community impact.
Karin Smyth MP for Bristol South and Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) said: “What’s really interesting about what Bristol is doing is the partnership working – working with the city, the NHS and the University both to recruit dental students and to make sure there’s good care here in the city. It’s a really interesting model and I’ve heard that we’re taking it to other parts of the country which is great. As a Government widening participation and getting young people though their career and into these fantastic opportunities is a really critical part of what we want to do. What they’ve done here in Bristol is to take this building and transform it into something which is a fantastic place to deliver care. There’s a willingness, and a recognition, by all the institutions here today that they are better together. Local dentists and GPs, the NHS, the Universities, the Russell Group and the FE sector, all have the same interests at heart to deliver good care. I think working together is crucial and we want to see this replicated across the country.”
Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, added: “Bristol Dental School is the ideal combination of the university training up the future workforce, but also meeting that community need for people that urgently need treatment. Bristol has always led the way in terms of the ‘one city’ approach, and this is a vindication of that. It’s a joint effort and that means reaching out to people who live in the community and young people who might have careers in this field. It means seeing where the dental need is and fulfilling that need and it’s also about the University doing an absolutely great job in terms of investing in an incredible facility like this and getting students to apply.”
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: “In 2023, we transitioned from a hospital to community environment, opening our £36 million new dental school - the most significant capital investment in dental education in the UK in the past decade. Our University is a key partner to our host city and the people living in it. As such, improving the lives of Bristolians and people living in the South West is key to our strategy and we constantly seek to collaborate with city, regional and national leaders to ensure we do this. Our new operating model means that the University of Bristol directly delivers patient care to our local community, with the flexibility to work with the communities who need access to dental services the most.”
Professor Barry Main, Head of School – Bristol Dental School, added: “We are very proud of what we have already achieved but there is significant scope for university dental schools, like Bristol, to further apply their expertise in education and training to rethink how early postgraduate dental training and education is delivered. In short, there is now an opportunity to allow better access to care for patients and attractive career development opportunities that retain dental professionals in the NHS.”
Professor Tim Whittlestone, Bristol NHS Group Chief Medical and Innovation Officer, said: “As the regional centre of excellence for secondary and tertiary clinical dental services, Bristol Dental Hospital supports patients who require complex treatment and emergency dental care. We recognise the challenges and impact that access to oral healthcare can have for people in the South West, particularly those in underserved communities. Working with Bristol Dental School and health, academic and political partners is key to understanding the challenges in the South West and beyond so that we can seize opportunities to develop greater patient access, offer fulfilling career pathways for NHS workforce and utilise innovations and new technologies to offer the best possible care to all the communities we serve.”