On 21st October 2026, representatives from across primary care gathered for Part 2 of the North West London Primary Care Provider Collaborative (PCPC) Board Meeting. Chaired by Kirstie Black (Vice Chair), the meeting brought together key voices from general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, optometry, and the ICB to discuss how primary care will shape service delivery and neighbourhood working moving forward.
Why Dentistry’s Voice Matters at the Table
As the NHS continues its push toward integrated neighbourhood working, ensuring robust dental representation is vital. Dentistry cannot be treated as an isolated service; it is a foundational pillar of primary care. The LDC’s presence at the PCPC Board is essential to ensure that GDPs are not overlooked when key decisions are made around funding, patient care pathways, and local service development.
Key Discussion Highlights
The central focus of the meeting was the ICB’s developing primary care framework. Built around prevention, early intervention, and supporting vulnerable patients before their health deteriorates, the framework sets out a vision for how general practice, dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry will collaborate within Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs). A significant portion of the meeting addressed funding for the flagship “Adults with Complexity Programme” which targets the top 5% of patients with complex needs in each borough. Funding will flow through INTs subject to partners signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Board also covered medicines optimisation transfers, a preference for direct contract awards for high-performing existing providers, and proposed pathways for managing ADHD follow-up care within primary care settings.
Where Dental Practices Fit In
From our perspective, the key priority is ensuring oral health and dental practices are designed into local neighbourhood planning from day one—not added as an afterthought. Dental teams have enormous potential to drive early disease detection and preventive care for complex patient cohorts. However, realizing this potential requires fair funding models, clear referral pathways, and genuine representation in governance structures.
Looking Ahead
While much of the system dialogue remains heavily focused on general medical practice, there is a clear willingness across the PCPC Board to foster broader collaboration. As implementation of the Adults with Complexity programme and INTs progresses through Q3 and Q4, the LDC will remain actively engaged with the Board and incoming Chair, Dr Titilola Banjoko, to advocate for practical support and fair opportunities for general dental practice.
