£3.7m investment could bring more NHS dental appointments to parts of Hampshire
Procurement is under way, but some people still struggle to find a dentist
More NHS dental appointments could be created in parts of Hampshire under a £3.7 million investment programme, councillors have been told.
NHS officials said the funding had been earmarked for additional dental services in Basingstoke and Deane, Winchester, Andover and East Hampshire.
Olivia Crispin, senior commissioning manager for dentistry at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, spoke during an update on dentistry services at Hampshire County Council on 13th October.
She said the procurement process was still under way but had attracted encouraging interest from providers.
The funding was outlined as part of a wider update on NHS dentistry in Hampshire.
Concerns over access
Councillors said some people still struggle to find an NHS dentist.
Test Valley councillor Sandra Gidley told the committee: "In southern Test Valley, children can access NHS dentistry, but adults struggle to."
She also said: "I would love to know where those NHS dentists are because I consistently receive complaints that people are struggling to access an NHS dentist."
Cllr Gidley said people unable to find routine appointments could end up seeking help elsewhere in the health system.
In response, James Roach, primary care director at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said councillors would be given a breakdown of the dental services available in their areas, along with information on how people could access them.
He said the outcome of the procurement process would also be shared once it had been completed.
What the figures show
According to the report presented to the committee, NHS dental contracts treated 21,945 more patients in 2025/26 than in the previous year.
It said 10 of Hampshire's 11 districts saw an increase in the number of people treated.
The biggest increases were recorded in Rushmoor, New Forest, Eastleigh, Havant and Gosport.
NHS officials also said Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had seen more than 11,000 additional adults access NHS dental care over a two-year period.
They said it was the best-performing integrated care board in England on that measure.
Mobile service and workforce
The committee also heard that the NHS plans to continue and expand its mobile dental outreach service.
The service provides treatment in communities where people may struggle to access traditional dental practices.
The wider report highlighted work to reduce oral health inequalities through prevention programmes and partnerships with councils.
It also described efforts to strengthen the future workforce through links with the University of Portsmouth's dental school.