Issue - meetings

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elin Walker Jones will propose as follows:-

That the Council

1. Notes:

- the significant shortage of NHS dental services in north Wales, and that there is a strong case for the establishment of a School of Dentistry in Bangor.

2. Believes:

- that dental services in north Wales are in a state of crisis. A severe shortage of NHS dentists in Gwynedd is leaving many patients, including children and vulnerable people, without proper access to basic dental care. This puts additional pressure on our emergency departments in the local hospitals due to a lack of access to dentists, resulting in additional costs and waiting times.

There is a need for more dental training. Unfortunately, a significant number of students wishing to study dentistry are forced to leave Wales due to a lack of capacity in schools of dentistry.

A new school of dentistry in Bangor could play a key role in training more dentists locally, offering a better chance of retaining the dental workforce in the region and providing essential services locally. The establishment of a school of dentistry in Bangor would provide good quality new jobs and attract investment to the local economy, supporting Bangor as a centre of excellence in health, alongside the new medical school. In addition, the school of dentistry could augment the provision of Welsh and bilingual dental services, improving access to healthcare for local Welsh-speaking communities.

3. Calls on:

The Council to support the campaign to establish a School of Dentistry at Bangor University, to write to our elected representatives in the Senedd to lobby the Welsh Government to consider the economic and public health case for the establishment of a school of dentistry in Bangor based on the key findings presented in the Filling the Gap report.

That the Council supports the campaign to establish a School of Dentistry at Bangor University, to write to our elected representatives in the Senedd to lobby the Welsh Government to consider the economic and public health case for the establishment of a school of dentistry in Bangor based on the key findings presented in the Filling the Gap report.

The following notice of motion was submitted by Councillor Elin Walker Jones, in accordance with Section 4.19 of the Constitution and it was seconded.

That the Council supports the campaign to establish a School of Dentistry at Bangor University, to write to our elected representatives in the Senedd to lobby the Welsh Government to consider the economic and public health case for the establishment of a school of dentistry in Bangor based on the key findings presented in the Filling the Gap report.

The member set out the context to her motion, noting that:

·         Sian Gwenllian, Member of the Senedd, had commissioned a report "Filling the Gap: Dentistry in Arfon" to find out exactly where dental services are in the area, identifying the challenges and offering solutions. ⁠

·         There is a significant shortage of NHS and all types of dental services in Gwynedd, and in North Wales, which means that the dental health of Gwynedd's children and adults is poor.  There was therefore a strong case for the establishment of a Dental School in Bangor.

·         That Sian Gwenllian has been campaigning to establish a Dental School at Bangor University and that the Welsh Government agreed that more dentists need to be trained in Wales.

·         That a new dental school in Bangor could play a key role in training more dentists locally, offering a better chance of retaining the dental workforce in the region and providing essential services locally.

·         That the establishment of a dental school in Bangor would provide quality new jobs and attract investment to the local economy, supporting Bangor as a centre of excellence in health, alongside the new medical school.  In addition, the school of dentistry could augment the provision of Welsh and bilingual dental services, improving access to healthcare for local Welsh-speaking communities.

·         That the establishment of a Bangor Dental School would give our young people new opportunities to train and get good jobs locally, and provide staff for dental services, increase the workforce and services and thereby improve the dental health of our children and adults. This, in turn, would put less pressure on our hospitals' emergency services, and improve overall public health.

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely: -

That the Council supports the campaign to establish a School of Dentistry at Bangor University, to write to our elected representatives in the Senedd to lobby the Welsh Government to consider the economic and public health case for the establishment of a school of dentistry in Bangor based on the key findings presented in the Filling the Gap report.