James Frith appointed as dental minister: here’s everything you need to know

Three weeks into Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s term, the government has announced that James Frith will take on responsibility for dentistry as under-secretary of state for health and social care.

A reshuffle of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) saw Yvette Cooper announced as the health secretary and several ministers and under-secretaries introduced on 22 July. However, it was not clear at this point exactly who would take on the dentistry brief.

It has now been announced that James Frith, MP for Bury North, will be responsible for dentistry as well as several other specialisms including NHS data and technology, research and innovation, and men’s health.

When first elected as MP in 2017, Frith sat on the Education Select Committee and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospice and End of Life Care. During his next term starting in 2024, he then served on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

In March 2026, Frith became a parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. He was largely responsible for the government’s work to develop a digital identity system for the UK.

Does the profession support the newly-appointed dental minister?

Prominent members of the dental profession have welcomed Frith to the post, calling for him to follow through on the government’s previous pledges of large-scale dental reform.

Neil Carmichael, executive chair of the Association of Dental groups, (ADG) said: ‘We warmly welcome James Frith and look forward to working with him. Under Stephen Kinnock’s term, the ADG made considerable progress in addressing the massive workforce gap, and we now look to him to ensure the implementation of the interventions he announced. 

‘In addition, NHS contract revisions remain essential if we are to secure long‑term access for patients. Meaningful reform of the GDC must also be addressed during his tenure.

‘The ADG developed a close and constructive relationship with Stephen Kinnock, who recently emphasised how important collaboration with the ADG is to the department. As we continue this partnership to improve dental access across the UK, we are inviting James Frith to the table so we can brief him on the dentistry landscape, the challenges – and, most importantly, the solutions the ADG is presenting to address our nation’s dental deserts.’

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