Dental hygienists and therapists to receive additional powers to free up appointments

The new plans build on efforts to improve access to primary care, including the Dental Recovery Plan. Patients will have faster, simpler and fairer access to primary care as the government gives new powers to dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer medicines, primary care minister Andrea Leadsom announced on March 28, 2024.

The move follows two public consultations run by the government, which found widespread support for giving new powers to these staff to cut bureaucracy and support more efficient patient care.

Dental hygienists and therapists will be able to give patients certain types of medicines—including pain relief and fluoride—without a dentist's sign-off. The move will free up dentists’ time, allowing them to deliver more patient-facing clinical services and improving access to primary care services for patients.