A Dental School in Every City?
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- Published: Sunday, 29 September 2024 20:48
- Written by Peter Ingle
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Workforce concerns have led to a rush to import overseas trained dentists, get DCP’s working at their full scope, and now a glut of proposals for new dental schools. A city of just over 15,000 is the latest to try and join the dental school gold rush.
Lately, MPs in a number of dental deserts have begun to suggest setting up a local dental school as a means of solving the access problems afflicting their area.
This appeals to under pressure universities who are facing financial meltdown. In these circumstances a prestigious course, with the possibility of NHS funding to support both its establishment and student fees is very appealing. At a time when graduate job prospects are being scrutinised, there is the bonus of an output of comparatively employable and well paid graduates.
Bangor is one of the smallest cities in the UK with a population of 15,100 in the 2021 census and an area of just 2.5 square miles. The university has over 9,000 students and its campus makes up a large part of Bangor.
The Member of the Senedd (MS) for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian recently launched a report presenting the case for establishing a Dental School as part of Bangor University, which is in her constituency. The MS and university hope to turn Bangor into a centre of national excellence for medical education.
The report launch took place at Bangor University and saw testimonials from figures from the University, the local Health Board, a first-year dental student at Cardiff, and Lafan Consulting, the company that undertook the research.
The MS says that she is inundated with cases of constituents unable to access NHS dental services and suffering unnecessary pain, turning to inappropriate methods of pain relief, and sometimes ending up in the hospital emergency departments. She was involved in a previous campaign for a Medical School for Bangor, whose North Wales Medical School will have its first student intake for Medicine in September 2024.
The argument is that not only would a new dental school increase national graduate output but there is the expectation that some are likely are remain in the local area. In addition, a Bangor Dental School would be an important addition to the city’s role as a centre of excellence in health training and strengthen the economy in Bangor by creating new high quality jobs. The university has three campuses with its medical school currently based at Wrexham, 70 miles from Bangor.
The argument in favour of a new local dental school is much the same, wherever in the country it is made and whichever party its advocate represents. One thing the ever increasing band of local politicians campaigning for a dental school seem to have rarely if ever considered, is how the new graduates will be encouraged to remain in a cash limited NHS.
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