Amanda Martin MP has welcomed the University of Portsmouth’s announcement that two local authority-owned locations, within Portsea and Paulsgrove respectively, have been chosen as the sites for potential new community dental clinics.
- Portsmouth set to benefit from two new NHS dental clinics being planned for delivery in 2027
- Clinics to be operated by University of Portsmouth Dental School
- Proposed new sites to be within council-owned properties in Portsea and Paulsgrove
Although the terms of the leases for these locations with University of Portsmouth are still subject to negotiation and funding, this is a significant step forwards and the culmination of the longstanding work undertaken to identify appropriate locations.
If established, these two new clinics would operate alongside the University of Portsmouth’s existing NHS dental clinic, which currently treats over 5,000 patients a year. This is estimated to increase treatment to over 10,00 patients per year.
This follows the announcement that the University of Portsmouth’s new dental school will be allocated 25 dental training places from 2027 as part of the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly 20 years. This can be read about in further detail here.
Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, has welcome the news saying: “This is fantastic news for Paulsgrove and for Portsmouth. Improving access to NHS dentistry has been one of the biggest issues raised with me by local residents, so I warmly welcome the opening of this new University Dental Hub.
“I regularly meet with the brilliant teams at the University of Portsmouth and consistently challenge them on what more they can do to support communities in the north of our city. I’m delighted they’ve listened and are bringing this much-needed facility to Paulsgrove, helping more local people access dental care while giving students invaluable hands-on experience.
“This is another significant step forward for dentistry in Portsmouth and builds on the Government’s recent announcement that half of the country’s new dental school places will be coming to our city. Together, these investments are helping to train the next generation of dentists, expand access to NHS dental care and tackle the long-standing shortages that have left too many people struggling to get an appointment.
“This is exactly the kind of partnership we need to improve health outcomes in our communities, and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive difference it will make for residents across Paulsgrove and Portsmouth North.”
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, Professor Graham Galbraith CBE, said: “These two new clinics are much needed in the city and a demonstration of the University’s commitment to work with city partners to support our community. Portsmouth has been a dental desert for too long.”
