Could the UEA finally get a dental school?

There has been a long campaign for a dental school in the East of England to help tackle the shortage of NHS dentists

A health minister has give the strongest indication yet that a long-planned dental school at the University of East Anglia (UEA) could be about to get the go-ahead.

Stephen Kinnock told MPs that he was "very close" to being able to tell the body that allocates dental training places how many will be available in 2027.

He also said that the UEA "would be a good candidate for any additional government funded training places".

The university had hoped it would be allowed to welcome its first students next year but the plans were scuppered by the government's spending review.

There has been a long campaign for a dental school in the East of England which supporters say would help tackle NHS dentist shortages in the region.

The University of East Anglia had originally hoped to have a dental school in place for 2026 entry

The university's plans have already been approved by the General Dental Council - but it is the Office For Students that allocates training places, once it is told by the government how many students it is prepared to fund.

The UEA had hoped that it would be allocated places in time for 2026 entry.

But the delayed spending review earlier this year meant that money wasn't allocated before the May deadline.

'Good candidate'

Local MPs have been pushing ministers for a decision for some time and at this week's health questions in parliament there appeared to be a change in tone.

In response to a question from Ben Goldsborough, the Labour MP for South Norfolk, the Department of Health & Social Care minister Stephen Kinnock said: "I am pleased the UEA has been approved as a dental school by the General Dental Council.

"The Office for Students has statutory responsibility for allocating dental school places but I fully agree that UEA would be a good candidate for any additional government funded places allocated in the the future."

When the Conservative MP for North West Norfolk, James Wild, asked when the OFS would be given direction to launch a competition for new places, Mr Kinnock said: "It is the responsibility of the government to give a steer to the OFS.

"We are very close to being able to put that together, I am expecting some guidance from my officials later this week."

What happens next?

An announcement for extra funding for dental places could come in Wednesday's budget.

Once the OFS has been told how many places are needed, it will ask universities to put in applications.

The UEA will have to compete with existing medical schools, but the government was expected to insist that the OFS take into account imbalances in the distribution of training places.

The county's MPs felt that - and the minister's support in parliament - would give the university a good chance.

An OFS spokesman said it was awaiting guidance for future dental school admissions from the Department for Education (DoE) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

A final decision can't come soon enough.

If the school is to open in 2027, it will need to be appealing to current Lower Sixth Form students who will soon be thinking about where they want to study.

The UEA Vice-Chancellor, David Maguire, said: "We are ready to apply for training to start in September 2027.

"We have already had enquiries from prospective students and we think this course will be popular if we are able to deliver it.

"We are grateful for the broad coalition of support we have received for our dental school proposal."