Procurement for Additional NHS General Dental Services Capacity Across Cardiff and Vale

Provision of additional NHS General Dental Services (GDS) capacity across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to improve patient access to NHS dental services, reduce waiting times for patients awaiting allocation through the Dental Access Portal, and increase service provision within identified areas of unmet need. The Health Board intends to award funding to one or more providers capable of delivering additional NHS dental activity in accordance with the NHS General Dental Services Contract. The services are anticipated to commence from March 2027 and will be provided under ongoing GDS contractual arrangements, which do not have a fixed end date

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is seeking to commission additional NHS General Dental Services (GDS) capacity to improve access to NHS dental care across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The requirement is intended to increase the availability of NHS dental appointments, reduce waiting times for patients awaiting allocation through the Dental Access Portal, and improve access to services in areas of identified unmet need. The Health Board has identified South East Cardiff, Cardiff East and Cardiff City & South as priority areas for additional service provision.

The procurement is open to eligible GDS contractors who can demonstrate sufficient workforce, clinical and surgery capacity to deliver additional NHS dental activity alongside existing contractual commitments. Successful providers will be required to deliver comprehensive NHS dental services in accordance with the NHS General Dental Services Contract, accept patients allocated through the Dental Access Portal where required, maintain compliance with all relevant contractual and regulatory requirements, and participate in contract monitoring and reporting arrangements. The Health Board reserves the right to award funding to one or more providers, taking into account the quality of submissions, geographical coverage, population need and the level of additional capacity available to support improved patient access to NHS dental services.