PLYMOUTH — A campaign to increase the number of dental students in Plymouth has been rejected by the government, leaving the city facing continued pressure from a shortage of NHS dentists.
The Peninsula Dental School at Plymouth University currently accepts 58 students per year, although it has the capacity for 72. A proposed 25% increase in student numbers, backed by the city’s three MPs and Plymouth City Council, was turned down. Officials said the government is instead considering opening more dental schools elsewhere in the country.
Cllr Mary Aspinall (Lab, Sutton and Mount Gould), who helped establish a council-led dental task force, said a letter confirmed there would be no extra places in Plymouth. She urged the council to lobby the government to encourage graduates to remain in the city.
“Recruitment and retention must be our focus,” she said. “We can’t stop graduates moving away, but we can make Plymouth an attractive place to stay.”
The task force, comprising council members, health professionals, and the dental school, has secured NHS Devon funding to deliver oral health education in schools, assist people experiencing homelessness, and improve access for older adults.
The government’s £20,000 “golden hello” scheme, aimed at attracting dentists to underserved areas, has had limited success in Devon.
Meanwhile, a new £5 million dental practice in Plymouth City Centre, run by the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, has treated nearly 1,000 NHS patients in its first month, providing emergency care and helping reduce local waiting lists.
Plymouth currently has more than 20,000 residents on a waiting list for NHS dental treatment, reflecting a broader shortage across Devon.