Special Care Dental Nurse and Oral Health Educator, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

For Lucy Borthwick, nearly 25 years in the NHS has only deepened her conviction that the best healthcare starts long before anyone needs treatment.

As a Special Care Dental Nurse and Oral Health Educator at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, Lucy’s work spans vital and complementary roles. Through the Oral Health Promotion Team, she works across Brighton & Hove to improve dental health through education, prevention and community engagement. At the same time, she continues to work clinically in Special Care Dentistry providing a service for children and adults who are unable to have treatment at a general dental practice because they need extra support; and at Chailey Clinical Services, supporting children and young people with speech and swallowing difficulties with the specialist, compassionate care they need.

One of Lucy’s most rewarding projects is helping to roll out a supervised toothbrushing scheme for young children across Sussex. It is exactly the kind of early intervention that changes life chances. “It has been incredibly rewarding to see the positive impact this work is having on families and communities,” she says, “helping to build healthier habits from an early age.”

But Lucy’s contribution doesn’t stop when regular services close. She also manages an out-of-hours Emergency Dental Service, ensuring that patients can access urgent care whenever they need it most.

Across everything she does, Lucy’s focus is on reaching the people who need support most — children, families and those with additional needs — and meeting them where they are. By tackling dental inequalities at the root and reducing the likelihood of avoidable disease and hospital admissions, her work is a powerful example of the shift from sickness to prevention in action.

“The NHS is a beacon of light when we are in our darkest moments,” Lucy reflects. “We care for everyone. It is a privilege to work in our communities and an honour to serve the public, no matter who you are, no matter your age and no matter your background.”