Unscheduled urgent and non-urgent dental care services support patients to access primary dental care at the right time, in the right place and by the right person, when they require clinical intervention between 24 hours and up to 7 days. The information below provides guidance to support the commissioning arrangements for unscheduled urgent and non-urgent dental care.

• National service specification: urgent unscheduled and non-urgent unscheduled dental care
• Clinical guidance: unscheduled urgent and non-urgent dental care
• Letter: arrangements for NHS urgent primary dental care during 2025/26 and confirmation of the closure of the New Patient Premium scheme

Urgent dental care incentive scheme 2025/26

The urgent dental care incentive scheme launched on 25 September 2025 and runs until 31 March 2026.

The scheme aims to incentivise dental contractors and their oral healthcare teams to provide more urgent care to patients in 2025/26.

The supporting guidance provides information to commissioners and dental providers on the scheme, including eligibility and participation process, calculation of the target, terms and conditions of this scheme and the payment arrangements.

A letter, for integrated care boards and regional teams, has also been published.