Stephen Morgan MP has welcomed major new reforms to NHS dentistry that will make it easier for patients to get long-term treatment and urgent dental care through the NHS.
After 14 years of Tory neglect that left millions unable to see an NHS dentist, this Labour government is taking decisive action to fix a broken system.
The reforms will prioritise patients with the most urgent and complex needs, expand access to urgent NHS dental appointments, and ensure dentists are fairly supported and incentivised to deliver longer-term treatment for conditions such as gum disease and tooth decay.
Patients in Portsmouth will also find it easier to access urgent NHS dental care locally, reducing the need to travel long distances or live with pain because appointments are unavailable.
These changes – which will be in place from April 2026 – will make sure the NHS dentistry budget – estimated at around £4 billion – delivers value for money for the taxpayer by diverting funds into better and more effective treatments for those who need it most.
The measures form part of Labour’s wider plan to rescue NHS dentistry after a decade of decline under the Tories, including new urgent and emergency dental appointments, supervised toothbrushing for young children, and preventative measures like water fluoridation to cut tooth decay.
Portsmouth residents will know that, in recent years, access to NHS dentistry has increasingly become a lottery across the country.
In the South East region, as of February 2025, 24% of patients who tried to see an NHS dentist in the previous two years were unable to do so.
Having long campaigned for reform of NHS Dentistry contracts to increase access for patients in Portsmouth, commenting, Stephen Morgan MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“Everyone in Portsmouth understands the mess the Conservatives left NHS dentistry in after their 14 years of failure, and sadly so many people in our city have paid the price
“For too long, local people have experienced a dental desert, forcing patients to either live with their pain or seek private dentistry if they can afford it.
“Labour has made a crucial promise to fix this broken system. This announcement is a major step towards NHS dentistry that will meet our city’s needs, ensuring that urgent dental care will be more accessible to those who need it.”
The latest Government action follows years of campaigning by the city MP recognising access to NHS Dentistry is a top priority for Portsmouth people. Mr Morgan is working with the University of Portsmouth to ensure an increased offer of dental places at the University’s Dental Academy.
