A contract has been awarded to Smile Together CIC for the provision of much needed NHS dental services at Quayside House Dental Access Centre (DAC) in Gloucester City.
NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) gave the green light to plans to create the new centre in March 2025 as part of a commitment to improve NHS dental access for those in most need.
The service will operate from Quayside House, a building owned by Gloucestershire County Council and based in an area of high need. It will include seven individual treatment rooms. Building work at the centre is already underway with the new provider in place to deliver services when work is complete.
Daytime, evening and weekend urgent care appointments will be provided for patients from across the county at Quayside House alongside appointments to stabilise dental health with follow-up appointments where needed. The urgent appointments will be accessible via NHS 111.
As well as providing urgent care appointments, the centre will also be expected to apply to become an NHS Dental Foundation training practice to deliver mentorship and support to a newly qualified NHS dentist working there.
It is anticipated that the new facility will be up and running by summer 2026.
Christina Worle, Dental Strategy Clinical Lead at NHS Gloucestershire ICB, said:
“We’re pleased to announce the awarding of the contract to provide NHS dental services at Quayside House which is an important step in making the plans come to fruition.
The expansion of both urgent and stabilisation appointments will have a meaningful impact for patients in an area where residents face challenges in accessing NHS dental care.
Offering extended urgent care and targeted support for those who need it most is a key priority for us in conjunction with our partners and although there’s more to be done across the county, awarding this contract is an important milestone.”
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member for public health, communities and fire at Gloucestershire County Council, said:
“Good oral health is fundamental to overall health and wellbeing, yet too many people are currently struggling to access NHS dental care when they need it most.
The awarding of this contract is an important step in addressing that challenge. This new Dental Access Centre will provide timely urgent care for local residents, while also helping to stabilise dental health and prevent problems from becoming more serious.
By working closely with NHS Gloucestershire ICB and our partners, we are investing in a service that not only improves access to care but also supports the future dental workforce, helping to build a more resilient NHS dental service for years to come.”
Work will continue into next year to increase the number of *urgent care and *stabilisation appointments available across Gloucestershire each week.
NHS Gloucestershire ICB is also working closely with local dentists, with help from patient representatives, to expand the number of NHS dental places for local people, including children, exploring a number of options to improve access across the county.
Notes:
Smile Together CIC is a social enterprise that provides NHS and private dental care. They are one of the largest NHS referral and emergency dental care providers in the South West. They reinvest profits to improve patient facilities and tackle oral health inequality, supporting communities through outreach and specialist services.
*Urgent dental appointments – In line with the Government pledge to roll out extra urgent dental appointments, NHS Gloucestershire ICB is continuing to increase the number of appointments available at clinics across the county each week, including on weeknights and at weekends. There are currently 140 urgent care appointments available on average each week, and the ICB is aiming to increase this number further.
Patients can access these urgent appointments by contacting NHS 111. They will then be triaged by dental nurses in the local urgent dental care triage team. Appointments can be accessed by people from any part of the county.
*Stabilisation appointments – as part of its commitment to improve access to NHS dentistry, NHS Gloucestershire ICB also commissions over 360 appointments on average each week across the county to support patients who have had an urgent dental appointment and require further treatment, but do not have a dentist.
These appointments (stabilisation appointments) may include a full-examination and follow-up dental treatment to support someone’s oral health to help ensure they do not need another urgent dental appointment soon. Patients will be referred following their urgent dental appointment if they need this.