Dental services are under pressure.
Rising demand, constrained capacity and increasingly complex patient needs are making it harder to ensure patients reach the right service at the right time.
For integrated care systems, dental referral pathways are a critical point of pressure. Incomplete, rejected or misdirected referrals can contribute to delays, create avoidable administrative burden and make it harder for commissioners to understand where demand, capacity and service gaps exist.
This white paper brings together perspectives from NHS commissioners, clinical leaders and dental networks, exploring how organisations are improving referral quality, increasing pathway visibility and supporting more effective service planning.
Inside the white paper:
You’ll find practical insight into how NHS dental leaders are approaching some of the most common referral pathway challenges, including:
- Reducing delays caused by incomplete and rejected referrals
- Improving visibility of referral demand, activity and outcomes
- Identifying capacity pressures and service gaps earlier
- Supporting more informed commissioning and resource allocation
- Helping patients reach the right service first time
- Preparing dental services for future demand and wider system change
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Featuring insights from NHS dental leaders
The paper includes perspectives from contributors across NHS dentistry, including:
- Hugh O’Keeffe, Head of Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry, NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board
- Dr Tony Ahmed, Principal Dentist and Chair, Shropshire and Staffordshire Local Dental Network
- Pepe Shirlaw, Chair of the London Local Dental Network
- David East, Director of NEC Rego
It also highlights real-world examples of how NHS organisations are working to streamline dental referrals, improve visibility across pathways and support better planning for local populations.
In principle, the implementation of electronic referrals for dentistry is the way forward. Electronic referrals align with the NHS Fit for the Future 10 Year Health Plan for England and support the shift from analogue to digital.
PEPE SHIRLAW, CHAIR OF THE LONDON LOCAL DENTAL NETWORK (LDN)
