Dentistry’s ministerial lead remains unclear after this week’s government reshuffle, with Dame Diana Johnson joining the Department of Health and Social Care as responsibilities are finalised.
Johnson joins the department under new health secretary Yvette Cooper following Andy Burnham’s appointment as prime minister, while Stephen Kinnock, who previously held responsibility for dentistry, has been appointed secretary of state for Wales.
Kinnock’s former brief as minister of state for care included primary care, covering dentistry, general practice, pharmacy and eyecare.
Karin Smyth has also been confirmed as remaining a minister of state at the Department of Health and Social Care. However, she did not previously hold responsibility for dentistry.
Dentistry.co.uk understands that ministerial responsibilities are still being finalised, including whether Johnson will take over the dentistry portfolio.
If confirmed, Johnson would take on the brief at a pivotal moment for the profession, with the government still under pressure to deliver Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledge to reform the NHS dental contract.
Labour’s dentistry plan also included 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments, supervised toothbrushing for children aged three to five, and targeted recruitment measures in areas with the greatest need.
What this means for dentistry
Whoever takes over the dentistry brief will inherit a challenging agenda. The Department of Health and Social Care has since introduced quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract, with some changes taking effect in 2026.
However, many dental leaders continue to argue that the current system remains fundamentally unfit for purpose. Access problems, workforce pressures and the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry remain among the profession’s biggest concerns.
Who is Dame Diana Johnson?
Johnson has been a Labour MP since 2005, representing Hull North before the seat became Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham following boundary changes at the 2024 general election.
She was born in the North West of England, read law at Queen Mary College, University of London, and qualified as a barrister before working in community law centres.
Before entering Parliament, she served as a local councillor and as a non-executive director in the NHS. She has held a number of government and opposition frontbench roles, including in health, home affairs and foreign affairs, and served as chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee from December 2021 to May 2024.
Johnson has previously raised NHS dental access and workforce shortages in Parliament. In February 2024, she told the House of Commons that one constituent had been told there was an eight-year wait to register family members with an NHS dentist.
She also said that ‘workforce is a really big issue’ and asked ministers to discuss developing a dental school linked to Hull York Medical School.
Infected blood campaign
Johnson is best known in health policy for her long-running campaign on the NHS infected blood scandal, for which she was named Backbencher of the Year in 2018.
Her involvement began after constituent Glen Wilkinson, who had haemophilia, came to see her about his experience of being infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products. Johnson later told Parliament that he was infected at the age of 19 during a routine tooth operation.
She went on to chair the all-party parliamentary group on haemophilia and contaminated blood and became one of Westminster’s most prominent campaigners for a full public inquiry and compensation for those affected.
In December 2023, an amendment tabled by Johnson to speed up the creation of a compensation body was passed by 246 votes to 242, handing Rishi Sunak his first Commons defeat as prime minister.
What’s next?
Andy Burnham succeeded Keir Starmer as prime minister on 20 July and has indicated that he intends to continue largely with the policies Labour was elected on in 2024. However, he has yet to announce any dentistry-specific plans.
As mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham frequently highlighted health inequalities, including oral health inequalities. For dentistry, though, the immediate question is who will take forward the government’s commitments on NHS dental access, contract reform and workforce retention.
Until ministerial responsibilities are confirmed, the profession remains in waiting.
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