Health

Queen Mary University plans free dental surgery in East London amidst oral health inequalities

Sunday, 9 November 2025 5:05AM UTC

Queen Mary University of London has unveiled proposals for a free dental clinic in Barking, aiming to serve over 5,000 patients annually and address the area’s critical oral health disparities through innovative community-focused care and dental training.

Plans have been unveiled for a new free dental surgery in East London, aiming to address significant oral health inequalities in the area by providing care to more than 5,000 patients annually. Queen Mary University of London has proposed opening the surgery in Barking town centre, within Maritime House on Linton Road, which is owned by Barking and Dagenham Council. The council is expected to approve leasing the ninth and tenth floors of the building to the university and allocate £4.1 million in funding for the surgery’s fit-out, supported by contributions from local property developers.

The proposed facility aims to deliver primary and urgent dental care free at the point of use, specifically targeting underserved populations such as migrant communities, those experiencing homelessness, looked-after children, ex-offenders, and individuals with limited internet access. The university’s application highlights the dire state of dental health and access in Barking and Dagenham, describing it as one of the worst affected areas in the UK for dental disease and access to NHS dentistry. The surgery is planned to train 130 dental students annually, thereby marrying education with community outreach and potentially alleviating the local shortage of NHS dental services.

This initiative aligns with broader government strategies to reform and recover NHS dentistry, particularly in areas designated as ‘dental deserts.’ The UK government’s plan involves increasing dental workforce capacity, introducing mobile dental units to reach isolated communities, and emphasising prevention and equitable access. Moreover, an expansion of training for dental professionals aims to improve service availability, with the new Barking surgery fitting into this context by nurturing future dentists while directly providing care.

Queen Mary University’s experience with similar projects lends credibility and insight into the potential impact of the Barking surgery. The university recently collaborated with Barts Health NHS Trust and Community Health Partnerships to open the Kenworthy Road Dental Clinic in Hackney, a £3.2 million facility that delivers about 7,000 free dental appointments yearly and trains around 300 dental students. This clinic has successfully served an area marked by high dental decay and limited access to care, showcasing a model that could be adapted for Barking.

Meanwhile, Barking and Dagenham Council faces financial and logistical challenges regarding Maritime House, which it purchased in 2022 for £19 million. Initially estimated repair costs for the building’s exterior were £550,000, to be covered over ten years by tenant service charges. However, more detailed inspections revealed substantially higher repair needs, prompting the council to seek approval to borrow £4.6 million for refurbishments. The building’s occupancy is currently below 50%, generating lower rental income than projected, which has resulted in an annual operating loss. Despite these challenges, the lease to Queen Mary University hinges upon completing these essential repairs.

This proposed dental surgery represents an important step towards addressing entrenched oral health disparities in Barking and Dagenham, integrating dental education with community service while reflecting national efforts to expand NHS dental access. The council’s cabinet is scheduled to decide on the lease and funding in the coming week, a decision that could significantly improve dental care availability for thousands in one of London’s most underserved areas.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (My London) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 5, 6, 7
^[2] (UK Government) - Paragraph 3
^[3], ^[4], ^[5] (Queen Mary University and related) - Paragraph 4
^[7] (Yellow Advertiser) - Paragraph 1, 2

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/plans-new-free-dentist-east-32838464 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-recover-and-reform-nhs-dentistry/faster-simpler-and-fairer-our-plan-to-recover-and-reform-nhs-dentistry - The UK government's plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry aims to improve access to dental care, especially in underserved areas. It includes measures such as introducing a new patient premium to encourage dentists to treat new patients, deploying mobile dental vans to reach isolated communities, and increasing the number of dental professionals through expanded training. The plan also focuses on prevention, particularly for children, and seeks to make dental services faster, simpler, and fairer for patients and the workforce.
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2024/fmd/new-clinic-helps-more-patients-in-need-of-dental-care.html - Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with Barts Health NHS Trust and Community Health Partnerships, opened the Kenworthy Road Dental Clinic in Hackney. This £3.2 million facility provides free dental services to residents in areas with high dental decay and limited access to care. The clinic serves as a training ground for 300 dental students annually, offering approximately 7,000 appointments per year to the local community.
https://healthcare-property.com/news/3-2-m-dental-clinic-opens-in-east-london/ - The Kenworthy Road Dental Clinic, a £3.2 million investment, has been officially opened in East London. The state-of-the-art facility accommodates 300 dental students and delivers 7,000 patient appointments annually. It aims to improve access to dental services for local communities in Homerton, an area known for high prevalence of dental decay and reduced access compared to national averages across England.
https://www.dental-nursing.co.uk/news/university-invests-3-2m-to-create-a-state-of-the-art-dental-clinic-1 - Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust and Community Health Partnerships, invested £3.2 million to establish the Kenworthy Road Dental Clinic in Hackney. The clinic provides free dental services to residents in areas with high dental decay and limited access to care. It also serves as a training ground for 300 dental students annually, offering approximately 7,000 appointments per year to the local community.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dental-patients-to-benefit-from-700000-extra-urgent-appointments - The UK government announced plans to roll out 700,000 extra urgent and emergency dental appointments across England. This initiative aims to address the crisis in NHS dentistry, particularly in areas where patients struggle to access services. The additional appointments are targeted at 'dental deserts' and are part of a broader effort to rebuild NHS dentistry, focusing on prevention, retention of NHS dentists, and reforming the NHS contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists and increase capacity for more patients.
https://www.yellowad.co.uk/university-could-open-free-dentist-surgery-in-barking/ - Queen Mary University of London plans to open a free dental surgery in Barking town centre, pending approval from Barking and Dagenham Council. The proposed surgery aims to provide primary dental care to those who need it the most and cannot currently gain access. The facility is expected to train 130 dental students annually and provide dental care to 5,200 patients free at the point of use. The council is also set to award £4.1 million in funding to fit out the surgery.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative was published on November 8, 2025, and has appeared in multiple reputable outlets, including MyLondon and Yellow Advertiser. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is November 7, 2025, in the Yellow Advertiser. The narrative is based on a press release from Queen Mary University of London, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: No direct quotes were identified in the narrative. The absence of quotes suggests the content may be original or exclusive.

Source reliability

Score: 9

Notes: The narrative originates from reputable organisations, including Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust. The Yellow Advertiser is a local news outlet with a history of accurate reporting. The presence of these reputable sources strengthens the reliability of the narrative.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative makes a significant claim about a new free dental surgery in East London, which is corroborated by multiple reputable outlets. The narrative lacks specific factual anchors, such as exact dates for council decisions, which reduces the score and flags it as potentially synthetic. The tone and language are consistent with typical corporate and official communications.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is fresh, originating from a press release by Queen Mary University of London, and is corroborated by multiple reputable sources. The absence of direct quotes and specific factual anchors suggests potential originality, though the lack of exact dates for council decisions reduces the score and flags it as potentially synthetic. Overall, the narrative passes the fact-check with high confidence.

East London
Dental health
NHS dentistry