The campaign to establish a dental school at Bangor University has reached a significant milestone, as it was raised in the House of Commons for the first time ever this week by Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd).
Despite not representing Bangor at Westminster, Ms Saville Roberts has previously acknowledged the potential of the proposed school to benefit the whole of north Wales. Her intervention marks a new chapter in a growing campaign to address the urgent lack of access to dental care across the region.
Speaking during Business Questions in the Commons, Ms Saville Roberts said: “My constituents are facing a crisis endured by people across the UK: a lack of access to basic dental care. Siân Gwenllian, Member of the Senedd for Arfon, has commissioned a report that provides a compelling case for a dental school at Bangor University.
“While the Welsh Government have acknowledged the potential benefits of the proposal, they cite financial constraints. Given the promise of two Governments at both ends of the M4 working together, does the Leader of the House agree that time should be found to revise Wales’s financial settlement to make this vital proposal a reality?”
In response, Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell said: “The right hon. Lady is right to raise the issue of dental deserts, which we see across the country, not just in Wales. She will know that the previous Government did not invest in dentistry, and that has had a knock-on effect in Wales. Many colleagues have raised with me the need for more dental schools. I suggest that she clubs together with some colleagues to get a debate on that subject.”
The case for Bangor Dental School has been championed by Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian, who in 2024 commissioned the Filling the Gaps report—a comprehensive study outlining the acute shortage of dental professionals in north Wales and presenting a practical route to train dentists locally. Ms Gwenllian also launched a public petition and secured a Senedd debate earlier this year, which gained cross-party support for progressing the proposal.
The call for action now extends to both the Welsh and UK Governments, with campaigners urging joint working to overcome financial hurdles and deliver a much-needed solution to the dental crisis affecting communities across north Wales.
