With many in Norfolk unable to access NHS treatment, the University of East Anglia is on the brink of starting up new undergraduate training places for dentists, a move which could help solve the problem.
By training up students at a £3m dentistry centre in an extension of the Edith Cavell Building at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, the UEA hopes it will increase the number of dentists who stay to live and work in the county – opening up more NHS spaces.
The Edith Cavell Building at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (Image: Google Street View)
Applications for students hoping to become the first at the dental school opened on Tuesday.
After years of campaigning, including by Norfolk MPs, UEA has been allocated 25 government-funded undergraduate dental training places per year, with the first cohort expected to start in September 2027.
Prof David Maguire, vice-chancellor of UEA, said: “Opening applications for dentistry is an important milestone for UEA and for the region.
“These new training places will help us develop the skilled workforce needed to improve access to NHS dental care across Norfolk and East Anglia.
“By training dentists locally, we aim to support communities where access to care has been limited and help build a more sustainable future for dental services.”
Professor David Maguire, vice chancellor of the University of East Anglia (Image: University of East Anglia)
The East of England has some of the lowest levels of access to NHS dental services in the country, with recruitment and retention of dentists a longstanding challenge.
Prof Lesley Dwyer, chief executive of Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, said: “Our hospitals fully and wholeheartedly support the development of this new dental school in Norwich.
“The creation of new training places is good news for the communities we serve at a time when rising numbers are attending urgent and emergency care services with dental issues.
“We have worked closely with UEA for more than 20 years to develop successive generations of doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals – we look forward to welcoming a new cohort of healthcare professionals to the UEA and hospital campuses.
“The creation of this dental school benefits the people of Norfolk and will complement the high-quality teaching and education programmes being delivered by the university and our hospitals.”
People can find out more at www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bds-dental-surgery