Senedd members added their voices to a growing chorus of cross-party calls for a dental school in north Wales amid concerns about NHS services vanishing.
Siân Gwenllian, who has been spearheading calls for a Bangor dental school, warned the system is in crisis with practices closing and constituents unable to access treatment.
She said her Arfon constituency has seen the challenges at their very worst, with only 36% of treatment through the NHS in north Wales compared with 44% for Wales as a whole.
The Plaid Cymru politician told the Senedd: “Of the dental surgeries in the Betsi area, 41% … have vacancies for dental posts and that is 10% higher than the average … for Wales.
“Over the past few years, more dentists have left than have joined. 15% of dentists work solely for the NHS, which points to an increasing tendency towards privatisation in the service. So, simply put, the demand for NHS services is greater than the current supply.”
‘Time is right’
Leading a debate on a cross-party motion, Ms Gwenllian pointed to a report she commissioned on the case for training dentists in Bangor.
“It is a convincing case and such a school would be a very valuable addition,” she said.
“With a medical school already located in Bangor, the foundations have been laid and the time is right to establish a dental school.”
Carolyn Thomas, a Labour backbencher who represents North Wales, expressed concerns about soaring costs, with patients paying between 14% and 32% more for the same treatment as in 2022.
She said her son was quoted £850 for treatment which would cost half the price in Cardiff.
Ms Thomas told the Senedd: “Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where even private dentists are full, meaning there is little incentive to hold back on price increases.”
‘Not good enough’
The Conservatives’ Sam Rowlands, who co-submitted the motion, said: “Dental services in north Wales are broken and they need to be fixed. It’s not good enough at the moment.”
His Tory colleague Janet Finch-Saunders warned the crisis has spiralled in the 13 years she has represented Aberconwy, with the number of NHS dentists remaining stagnant or falling.
She said: “The new medical school in Bangor is a vital development, not only increasing the number of doctors but also fostering skills and expertise for future generations. This is especially crucial in a region with fewer skilled professions and job opportunities.”
Darren Millar, who became leader of the Tory Senedd group last month, said some people are going to Scotland to see an NHS dentist or travelling to eastern Europe for treatment.
He told the chamber: “It’s not right that people in north Wales should face a disadvantage in terms of access compared with other parts of the country – and that needs to be sorted out.”
DIY dentistry
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth warned of a three-tier system: those who can access scarce NHS services, those who can afford private care and those who have neither option.
He said: “That’s where we come to those people who are taking out their own teeth … which is becoming increasingly common – and children in particular and the poorest families are suffering – and our dental care as a nation is deteriorating.”
He pointed to Plaid Cymru’s 20-year campaign for a north Wales medical school: “Ministers in Labour Governments argued that there wasn’t a case for a medical school, but we knew that there was, and I was very pleased to be able to see that being delivered recently.
“But let us not make the same mistake in terms of delay, delay, delay … with a dental school. We need to do this – the crisis is clear and this is an important part of the solution.”
His colleague Llŷr Gruffydd said if the drift towards the private sector continues then NHS dentistry in north Wales is in danger of becoming extinct eventually.
‘Significant difficulties’
Responding for the Welsh Government, Jeremy Miles acknowledged significant difficulties in north Wales, with a large number of practices reducing or returning their NHS contract.
Mr Miles said 25,000 new patients have received emergency treatment since 2023 but he accepted this is not a permanent solution to improving access.
He told the Senedd the key opportunity will be the new general dental services contract, which will aim to deliver a model that is attractive to the profession and fair to patients.
Mr Miles said: “I have no doubt that a second facility to increase the number of dental undergraduates, dental therapists, dental hygienists and improve the dental workforce in Wales would have benefits in terms of clinical benefits but also economic benefits.”
Following the debate on January 8, Senedd members backed the motion 29-0 with 17 abstaining in the non-binding vote.