Attempts to encourage dentists who left NHS contracts to return will be made by Suffolk and North East Essex's integrated care board (SNEE ICB) after they take over responsibility for commissioning dentists from NHS England.

The move comes weeks after dental charity Dentaid stepped up visits to Suffolk towns, including Felixstowe.

ICBs commission healthcare at a local level and include representatives from NHS providers, GPs and local authorities. From April 1 2023, they will receive delegated authority from NHS England for commissioning dental services.

Dentaid in Felixstowe (©NubNews)

Lizzie Mapplebeck, associate director of strategic change for SNEE ICB, said during a Suffolk County Council health and wellbeing board meeting: "On April 1, we will be able to have discussions directly with the dentists who have handed back their NHS contracts.

"We will ask them why, and what we can do to bring them back to dentistry.

"There are a number of dentists who just haven't been able to maintain their NHS contracts because they do not get remunerated for the level of work required.

"We will do everything within our power to ensure there is an increase in NHS dentistry in Suffolk and North East Essex going forward."

Lizzie Mapplebeck also mentioned the University of Suffolk's plans to set up a centre for dental development that trains up new dentists in the area.

The university intends to start two dental courses next September and two further courses in September 2024.

Cllr James Reeder said to the SNEE ICB representatives: "The commissioning of dentistry has been outrageous and totally inadequate.

"I am delighted that as of April 1 next year you will have the contract, because you give me more confidence."

There was overall support for the transition of responsibility to the ICB by councillors, though some were uncertain that the new dental courses would address the urgent need for NHS dental care in the area fast enough.

Some improvements are planned before next April. NHS England agreed to commission eight new dentists in Suffolk until the end of next March after a conversation with SNEE ICB.

The ICB has also provided additional funding to reduce the expected waiting list for domiciliary dentistry to zero by the end of March 2023.

In Suffolk, 224,300 dental treatments were delivered in 2020–21. This is 60% less than the pre-pandemic figure of 549,000.

Just under 38% of the county's population accessed dentistry in the last two years, compared to just over 54% before COVID.