Trial of dentists in GP surgery is a 'game changer'
Mo Bakshi/BBCA doctor says a trial of dental services in a GP surgery has been a "game changer" for patients.
Dr Neil Modha, a GP and managing partner at the Thistlemoor Medical Centre in Peterborough, has been leading an 18-month pilot of the new dental practice.
Under the scheme, children and adults identified as vulnerable are contacted by the GP practice and passed on to the on-site dental team.
More than 1,500 NHS dental appointments have been provided through the pilot since it began in December.
"Rather than waiting for people to have pain and problems, we're trying to get them before that," said Modha.
"Being able to actually put people into the dentist is a game changer, really."
Thistlemoor Medical CentreThe scheme uses GP records to identify vulnerable patients who are not already registered with an NHS dentist.
The practice then contacts them directly and, if eligible, arranges an appointment with the Thistlemoor Smiles dental team.
The team is made up of three dentists, two dental therapists and three dental nurses.
Priority is given to patients such as children in care, vulnerable adults with diabetes, and those with complex conditions.
The surgery has about 33,000 patients and serves a deprived area of the city, where nearly three-quarters of children live in low-income families.
Peterborough has previously been described as a "dental desert" by the city's MP, Andrew Pakes.
About 20% of adults in the city saw a dentist in the two years to April 2026, compared with 40% across England, according to NHS data.
Just over half of children in Peterborough saw an NHS dentist in 2025-26, compared with 60% across England.
The Thistlemoor pilot scheme has been shortlisted for the HSJ Primary Care Provider of the Year award, and is a finalist in three categories of the Parliamentary Pathfinder Dentistry Awards.
A Peterborough City Council scrutiny committee is due to discuss its partnership with the pilot on Tuesday. Members are not being asked to decide on extending the scheme at this stage.
Do you have a story suggestion for Peterborough? Contact us below.
Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.