Hammersmith and Fulham Council is rolling out a new plan to significantly improve children's oral health across the borough. The initiative, discussed at a recent Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, focuses on early intervention, promoting healthy habits, and increasing access to dental care for young people.
A key component of the plan is the implementation of the national Supervised Toothbrushing Programme in early years settings located in areas of high deprivation. These areas are identified based on the '20% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)'. Funding eligibility and allocations are based on the number of 3- to 5-year-old children living in these areas. The programme involves daily supervised toothbrushing sessions with fluoride toothpaste to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Implementation of this programme started in September 2025, with the Public Health team gathering data on schools with nursery and early years settings in areas classified as IMD levels 1 and 2. The aim is to introduce the programme to schools not yet implementing it, with the possibility to extend to schools in IMD levels 3 and 4 where it is already in place. The rollout will be closely monitored and evaluated.
Additionally, a Targeted Dental Access for Children (TDAC) Pilot is underway, aiming to improve access to dental care for children and young people (CYP) who are facing barriers, have additional needs, and/or are from the Core20Plus (20% most deprived) population. Two dental practices in Shepherds Bush are participating in this pilot, offering tailored appointments and oral health advice. The pilot's uptake will be monitored, and referral pathways to GPs and targeted schools will be expanded.
Despite these efforts, the borough faces challenges. Data indicates that 28% of children in Hammersmith and Fulham experience visible dental decay, which is higher than the London average of 26%. However, hospital extraction rates for young people are lower. The plan also highlights the need to increase the uptake of dental appointments among children. Strategies to advertise available NHS dentists include developing an online map for residents to find healthcare providers accepting new NHS patients, advertised through resident e-newsletters. For care leavers, free NHS services (up to age 25) are being advertised widely through the Local Authority, with the expected impact of increased access to dental care and utilisation of free services for eligible individuals.
The broader Oral Health Plan, developed in collaboration with residents and voluntary sector partners, aims to strengthen inter-service collaboration and promote healthy oral hygiene behaviours. This includes training for frontline staff, developing accessible oral health resources, and partnerships across health, education, and community services. The H&F Vaccine Conversation Training is being provided to frontline staff, volunteers, and community representatives, embedded in care homes, children's services, housing, and VCSE settings. This training aims to improve confidence in discussing vaccination, address misinformation, and support informed decision-making. Attendees include GPs, practice nurses, health visitors, school nurses, care home staff, domiciliary care providers, homeless health practitioners, and community/VCSE sector representatives.
Key performance indicators for the oral health plan include: all Family Hub staff and Family Champions trained in oral health promotion; development of an online e-learning oral health module; co-production sessions with Family Champions to design messaging; implementation of the HENRY programme with a minimum of 3 programmes delivered over 18 months; exploration and commissioning for a service that includes breastfeeding support; identifying schools prioritizing oral health and providing support; prioritizing oral health in the 0-19 Public Health Nursing service specification; exploring recruitment and engagement of more parents as part of the Family Champions programme; evaluating healthy food and snack policies in early years settings and schools; inclusion of a community dietitian in a new H&F healthy weight pathway; ensuring uptake of the Targeted Fluoride Varnish Programme; developing an online map for finding healthcare providers accepting new NHS patients; training for professionals on finding and signing up to NHS Dentists; and 90.8% of children looked after having an up-to-date dental check completed on time in 24/25. For the Supervised Toothbrushing Programme, rollout will be monitored and evaluated using the NHSE framework. For the TDAC Pilot, uptake will be tracked, and referral pathways to GPs and targeted schools will be expanded.
This initiative is part of the broader 'Best Start in Life Plan' Best Start in Life Plan and 'Best Start in Life Local Plan' Best Start in Life Local Plan, as discussed in the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 18th March 2026 Agenda frontsheet 18th-Mar-2026 18.30 Health Wellbeing Board. Further details can be found in the Public reports pack 18th-Mar-2026 18.30 Health Wellbeing Board and the Oral Health Briefing.
