Welcoming New NHS dental talent to East Sussex
Senior leaders from NHS England South East recently visited Toad Hall Dental Surgery, Bexhill-on-Sea, to meet one of the region’s newest NHS dentists and hear first-hand about the impact of the South East dental recruitment programme.
During the visit, James Hempsted-Kingham, Director of Primary Care & Public Health Commissioning, and Shabir Shivji, Regional Chief Dental Officer, met with Nish Suchak, Principal Dentist together with Mrs. Suryamadhuri Seru, who joined the practice through the region’s NHS dental recruitment initiative.
Improving access to NHS dentistry remains one of key priorities for the NHS.
Recruiting qualified NHS dentists into areas where patient access has been particularly difficult has been a key focus of Project 100, with NHS England and NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board working together to attract talented clinicians to practices that need them most.
The initiative generated significant interest from dentists looking to work in the NHS, helping practices overcome long-standing recruitment difficulties and increasing NHS capacity for local patients.
One of the programme’s early successes was at Toad Hall Dental Surgery, which had experienced sustained recruitment challenges despite extensive advertising and competitive contract arrangements.
Through the scheme, the practice successfully recruited Mrs Surya Adhuri Seru, who joined the team in November 2025. Since then, she has been providing NHS care to adults and children across the local community, helping the practice increase capacity and improve access for patients.
Speaking after the visit, James Hempsted-Kingham said:
“Access to NHS dentistry continues to be a real challenge in a number of communities across the South East, so it was fantastic to see first-hand the difference this recruitment initiative is making. The success at Toad Hall Dental Surgery demonstrates what can be achieved when NHS England, our Integrated Care Boards and local dental practices work together towards a common goal. Most importantly, it means more local people are able to access the NHS dental care they need closer to home.”
Shabir Shivji, Regional Chief Dental Officer for the South East, added:
“Recruiting and retaining NHS dentists remains one of the most significant issues facing dental services nationally. It was inspiring to meet Mrs. Suryamadhuri Seru and hear about her experience of settling into both the practice and the local community. The commitment shown by practices such as Toad Hall Dental Surgery, supported by local system partners, is helping us build a stronger and more sustainable NHS dental workforce for the future.”
Nish Suchak and the team at Toad Hall Dental Surgery have played a key role in ensuring new recruits are welcomed and supported.
Alongside her clinical work, Mrs. Suryamadhuri Seru has settled into life in East Sussex with her husband and son, becoming part of the local community while delivering NHS care for local residents.
Reflecting on the programme, Nish Suchak said:
“Like many practices, we had worked hard to recruit NHS dentists but found it increasingly difficult. The support available through the regional initiative helped us attract a high-quality candidate who is already making a real difference for our patients. We are delighted to have welcomed Surya Mrs Suryamadhuri Seru to the team and look forward to continuing to expand access to NHS dentistry for local people.”
The visit highlighted both the scale of the recruitment challenge facing NHS dentistry and the positive impact that collaborative action between NHS England, Integrated Care Boards and dental providers can have in improving access to care.
With more recruits continuing to join dental practices across the region, the initiative is helping strengthen the NHS dental workforce and deliver tangible benefits for patients and communities.