Ashley Fox, MP for Bridgwater, has urged the Government to explore training dental students in Somerset as part of efforts to improve access to NHS dentistry across the county.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on access to dentistry in Somerset, Ashley Fox highlighted the role of Bridgwater & Taunton College in training nurses and midwives and suggested that similar training could be extended to dental hygienists and dental students from the University of Bristol.
“Somerset already benefits from healthcare training at Bridgwater & Taunton College,” said Ashley Fox during the debate. “There’s a real opportunity to expand that success by enabling dental students from the University of Bristol Dental Hospital to carry out part of their training here in Somerset, where they could also help meet local needs.”
The idea was well received by the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, who called it “an excellent idea” and invited Ashley Fox to write to him to take it forward.
Ashley Fox said afterwards, “I’m encouraged by the Minister’s response and will be writing to him to push this proposal further. Enabling dental students to train in Somerset could help address the shortage of NHS dentists locally and may encourage them to settle and build their careers here—helping to provide a long-term fix to our local dentistry needs.”
