Five thousand new NHS dental places are now available across Lancashire, offering a rare boost in a region where getting an NHS dentist has often meant long waits and repeated calls.
National statistics show that only about 49% of people in Northern Ireland were registered with a dentist in 2025/26, reflecting a broader UK-wide crisis in dental access.
Several changes behind the scenes made this possible. The Blackburn site, which moved in 2022, now has 16 dental surgeries-an upgrade that lets the practice take on more patients. In Burnley, hiring a new dentist has increased the number of appointments available. mydentist says these improvements are key to taking on more NHS patients wherever they have room.
Heidi Helsdon, area development manager for mydentist, said: "We know that accessing dental care in this region is difficult, which is why we are so proud to be able to open up more NHS availability to communities across Blackburn, Burnley, and Haslingden. Our dedicated practice teams remain committed to meeting the needs of our patients here in Lancashire both now and in the future and increasing our NHS capacity is a clear demonstration of this."
In official and industry reports, there has been a notable rise in emergency dental care requests: around 1,400 people per year contact the Department of Health in Northern Ireland for urgent dental help, with 70% of calls related to emergency treatment and 20% seeking NHS patient registration.
For Lancashire, where NHS dental access has been a persistent problem, this expansion is a direct response to a shortage that has left many without care. The new places offer a real improvement in a system often defined by waiting lists and frustration. If this approach to investment and recruitment continues, it could serve as a model for other regions facing similar shortages. For now, the opening of 5,000 new NHS dental places is a concrete gain for patients in Blackburn, Burnley, and Haslingden.
