Ministers have said they are “very close” to giving a direction which could pave the way for the University of East Anglia to start recruiting its first students for its planned school.
Work to build the £3m centre in a new extension of the Edith Cavell Building at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital site is under way, with construction financed half by the UEA and half by Norfolk councils.
The UEA dental school is being constructed at the Edith Cavell Buildings (Image: Google Street View)
But the UEA has been unable to start the process of recruiting the first cohort of students because the government, struggling with extreme pressures on its finances, has yet to instruct the Office for Students to allocate dental courses for 2026/27.
However, this week, health minister Stephen Kinnock, who previously said the UEA dental school was “a no brainer”, gave the strongest indication yet that it could be welcoming its first students in 2027.
North West Norfolk MP James Wild (Image: Richard Townshend)
North West Norfolk MP James Wild, speaking in the House of Commons, questioned Mr Kinnock over when progress will be made.
Conservative MP Mr Wild said: “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?”
Stephen Kinnock
Mr Kinnock replied: “The honourable 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 honourable gentleman updated on further progress.”
READ MORE: Frustration over Norfolk NHS dental desert decision delay
South Norfolk MP Ben Goldsborough (Image: Ben Goldsborough)
And, in response to a question from South Norfolk Labour MP Ben Goldsborough, he said: “I fully agree that the UEA would be a good candidate for any additional government funded places allocated in the the future.”
Backers of the school believe it will help ease problems which have seen Norfolk dubbed a “dental desert” because so many people cannot get NHS dental treatment. The hope is that some of the students will stay to work in Norfolk once they are trained.
The General Dental Council had backed the UEA’s plans and it had hoped the first students would start in 2026.
But delays mean that it will now be 2027 at the earliest – if the Office For Students agrees to allocate training places once the government confirms funding.
UEA vice-chancellor David Maguire (Image: University of East Anglia)
UEA vice-chancellor David Maguire said: “UEA remains committed to our ambition to deliver undergraduate dental training.
“The East of England is the only region of the whole country that does not have a dental school and this is partly causing the severe lack of dental service provision in our region.
“Having secured approval from the General Dental Council to start teaching dentistry, we are still waiting for the government to instruct the Office for Students to allocate new undergraduate training places and we are ready to apply for training to start in September 2027.
“We have already had enquiries from prospective students and we think this course will be popular if we are able to deliver it.
“We are grateful for the broad coalition of support we have received for our dental school proposal.
“For a number of years now, we have had cross party support from our MPs and local governments across Norfolk, as well as from the dentistry community in the East of England and many of our health service providers, who already work closely with us to deliver in other areas of healthcare.”