Bangor is at the heart of a growing campaign to tackle the NHS dentistry crisis in north Wales – with calls intensifying for a new dental school to be established at Bangor University.

Speaking in the Senedd this week, local Member of the Senedd Siân Gwenllian backed a motion by Mabon ap Gwynfor MS that pushed the Welsh Government to act urgently to address the critical shortage of NHS dentists. With only 36% of residents in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area receiving NHS dental treatment – well below the already concerning Welsh average of 44% – the need for local solutions has become stark.

“To have adequate staffing levels, we need to train more dentists,” said Ms Gwenllian. “There is evidence to demonstrate that a workforce plan must include a new school of dentistry in Wales – and it must be located in north Wales.”

Ms Gwenllian highlighted the growing grassroots support for the initiative across Gwynedd, noting: “There are 42 community councils in Gwynedd that have passed a motion supporting my campaign to ensure a new school of dentistry for Wales in north Wales. They’ve also written to you, Cabinet Secretary, to declare that support.”

Bangor City Council are one of the local councils who have backed the campaign officially.

Siân Gwenllian has welcomed a collaborative effort between Bangor University and Aberystwyth University to develop a joint business plan to establish the school. “It’s wonderful to see this collaboration between universities in the west,” she said. “It’s time for the Government to show its commitment to the project.”

The MS has organised a seminar in the Senedd to present the report Filling the Gaps, which explores the evidence and need for the dental school. She extended a warm invitation to all Members of the Senedd – particularly the Cabinet Secretary – to attend the event on 13 May.

“The concern about a lack of access to NHS services is clear on the ground,” she concluded, “and so is the desire to see future dentists being trained locally – in Bangor.”

Photo: The launch of the report ‘Filling the Gaps: The case for training dentists in Bangor’ at Bangor University