Provision of NHS General Dental Services in North Wales

Provision of General Dental Services in North Wales Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) is seeking Expressions of Interest from providers interested in delivering NHS General Dental Services (GDS) across North Wales.

The purpose of this EOI is to: - Understand market interest. - Assess provider capacity and capability. - Identify potential delivery models. - Inform commissioning decisions. - Support selection of the most appropriate route under the Health Services (Provider Selection Regime) (Wales) Regulations 2025. This EOI does not constitute a procurement process and does not commit the Health Board to award any contract.

The Health Board has identified approximately 1.578 million recurrent funding which may become available for reinvestment into NHS dental services from January 2027. The Health Board has already utilised permitted contract modifications to increase activity with a number of existing NHS dental providers during 2026/27.

The purpose of this Expression of Interest is therefore not to identify opportunities for further expansion of existing NHS contractual arrangements, but to identify providers capable of establishing additional NHS dental capacity through new premises, additional service locations or new NHS dental practices. Providers may be existing NHS contractors, private providers or new market entrants.

Whilst proposals involving new premises will be preferred, the Health Board recognises that smaller providers and existing NHS contractors may be able to deliver additional capacity quickly and sustainably. Consequently, proposals from existing providers operating within strategic priority areas may also be considered where they can demonstrate that the proposal creates additional NHS dental capacity, improves patient access, is sustainable and deliverable, represents value for money and aligns with the Health Board's commissioning priorities.

The Health Board will assess all proposals on their ability to deliver improved access and additional NHS capacity rather than on provider type alone. The Health Board has identified the following priority areas for market engagement: Denbighshire, Anglesey, Gwynedd and Wrexham, although unmet need remains evident across all counties. The Health Board anticipates commissioning contracts with an annual value between 210,000 and 420,000 pounds, depending on local population need, service model, location, deliverability and value for money.