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01  Voice · Regulator · Dentistry access

Sukeina Kassam: no photograph is held, so the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (NHS Somerset) monogram is shown instead.
Regulator

Sukeina Kassam

Director of Primary Care, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (NHS Somerset)

Press coverage by month · bar height shows relative volume
Dec 2025Jan 2026FebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovto date
1

Quoted in the press, across 1 topic since 21 Oct 2025

YEOVIL
OfficeNHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (NHS Somerset), Yeovil, BA22 8HRNHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (NHS Somerset) is based in Yeovil: the organisation’s base, not a personal address.

02  Quoted on · 1 of 29 topics

Open the topic

Sukeina Kassam: key facts

Kind of voice
Regulator
Role
Director of Primary Care
Organisation
NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (NHS Somerset)
Organisation based in
Yeovil
Quoted on
Dentistry access
Press coverage
Quoted in the press
Most recently quoted
11 Sept 2026
First quoted
21 Oct 2025

03  Profile

Who Sukeina Kassam is

Sukeina Kassam is Director of Primary Care at NHS Somerset, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Somerset. The ICB is the statutory NHS body responsible for commissioning primary care services in the county.

In 2023 she was listed as Deputy Director of Primary Care and Contracting, and by 2024 she was being described in NHS Somerset statements as Director of Primary Care. She is quoted in local press and NHS Somerset releases on NHS dentistry access, including the opening of new NHS dental practices in Wellington, Chard and Crewkerne. In 2025–26 NHS Somerset reported about 3% more NHS dental activity across 52 practices.

She has also commented on GP practice CQC ratings and on a GP practice closure and list transfer in Wellington. She has set out local plans for recovering access to primary care.

Notable achievements

  1. 01

    As Director of Primary Care, she was quoted launching Wellington's first new NHS dental practice in about ten years, part of NHS Somerset's plan to expand NHS dental access. Source ↗

  2. 02

    She was named as lead officer for NHS Somerset's report to Somerset Council's scrutiny committee on NHS dentistry services. The ICB was delegated commissioning authority for pharmacy, optometry and dentistry from April 2023. Source ↗

  3. 03

    She was the executive lead for NHS Somerset's localised plan for the national Recovering Access to Primary Care delivery plan, presented to Somerset Council scrutiny in August 2023. Source ↗

  4. 04

    NHS Somerset reported about 3% more NHS dental work across its 52 NHS practices in 2025-26. The report was accompanied by a statement from her, and it followed the opening of three new NHS practices in Wellington, Chard and Crewkerne. Source ↗

04  The signal · where Sukeina Kassam sits on dentistry access

Leading

One of the voices most often quoted in the press on dentistry access.

Placed by press coverage on this topic only, not across all topics.

  1. Eddie Crouch portraitEddie CrouchUnionChair of the Principal Executive Committee (BDA Chair), British Dental AssociationLeading
  2. Shiv Pabary portraitShiv PabaryClinicianChair, General Dental Practice Committee, British Dental AssociationLeading
  3. Jason Wong portraitJason WongRegulatorChief Dental Officer for England, NHS England (joint appointment with the Department of Health and Social Care, based in NHS England)Leading
  4. Chris LoucaAcademicProfessor; director of dentistry, University of PortsmouthLeading
  5. Simon ThackerayAcademicDental practice ownerLeading
  6. Sukeina KassamRegulatorDirector of Primary Care, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (NHS Somerset)Leading
  7. Mark JonesSector leaderToothless in England founderLeading
  8. Rebecca CurtayneRegulatorActing Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research, Healthwatch EnglandLeading

Showing the leading voices and those placed around Sukeina Kassam · See every voice on the topic →

05  On the record · press

What Sukeina Kassam has said

By outlet · bar length shows relative volume
  • somersetlive.co.uk
  • bbc.com
  • wells.nub.news

Where Sukeina Kassam has been quoted

  1. Somerset NHS dentistry improves but MPs demand urgent reformwells.nub.news · 11 Sept 2026
  2. Somerset MPs unite to demand urgent changes to NHS dental contractsomersetlive.co.uk · 6 Jul 2026
  3. Third Somerset NHS dental practice opens to meet demandbbc.com · 4 Jun 2026
  4. Wellington’s new dental practice to offer more NHS appointments before Christmassomersetlive.co.uk · 21 Oct 2025

How we found the articles that name Sukeina Kassam: we searched news for these terms.

  • NHS dentistry
  • NHS dentist
  • dental access
  • dentist shortage
  • dental desert
  • dental contract
  • dental charges
  • dental check-up

Also searched with “NHS dentistry” in each of 8 national papers, and in the Guardian by editor tag, and in trade press by category. Every term for Dentistry access

Verbatim

“Improving access to NHS dentistry is one of our top priorities as we know it is hugely important to local people. It is great to see our improvement programme is leading to better access and more NHS dental care being provided in Somerset.”
director of primary care at NHS Somerset · Dentistry access · wells.nub.news · 11 Sept 2026 · Read the article
“Improving access to NHS dentistry is one of our top priorities, as we know it is hugely important to local people. It is great to see our improvement programme is leading to better access and more NHS dental care being provided in Somerset.”
Director of primary care, NHS Somerset ICB · Dentistry access · somersetlive.co.uk · 6 Jul 2026 · Read the article
“We're at the start of the journey. We know that we've got a long way to go but it's really nice to be able to come and see patients being seen and it's very heart warming.”
director of primary care at NHS Somerset · Dentistry access · bbc.com · 4 Jun 2026 · Read the article
“We recognise that one practice can't meet all of Somerset's demand, but this marks a really exciting step forward for the town, helping thousands more people access the NHS dental care they deserve.”
NHS Somerset director of primary care · Dentistry access · somersetlive.co.uk · 21 Oct 2025 · Read the article

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics, not necessarily citing them directly.

06  Sources

References for this biography

  1. More people seeing NHS dentists - Around Wellington. Her title as Director of Primary Care at NHS Somerset. Also the 2025-26 dental activity figures (about 3% increase, 52 practices) and the three new practices.
  2. NHS Somerset says three per cent more people accessing State dental treatment. Press quote from her as NHS Somerset director of primary care on improving NHS dentistry access.
  3. First dentist in ten years to offer NHS dental care in Somerset opens its doors in Wellington - NHS Somerset ICB. Her role and statement on the Wellington dental practice opening.
  4. 'GOOD' news for Minehead Medical Centre - NHS Somerset ICB. Her title as Director of Primary Care at NHS Somerset ICB. Also her comment on Minehead Medical Centre's CQC 'Good' rating.
  5. Luson Surgery in Wellington makes difficult decision to close from the autumn - NHS Somerset ICB. Her comment on the Luson Surgery closure and list transfer. Also that the ICB commissions primary care services.
  6. Twelve things NHS bosses are doing to fix Somerset's health services. Earlier title (Deputy Director of Primary Care and Contracting) and her comments on the primary care recovery plan.
  7. Somerset's 'dental desert' shows little sign of improvement six months after change to commissioning system. ICB took over dental commissioning from NHS England in April 2023. Her comments on contractual compliance.
  8. Somerset Council Scrutiny Committee - NHS Dentistry Services in Somerset. Her role as lead officer and executive lead on the dentistry report. Also the ICB's delegated commissioning for pharmacy, optometry and dentistry from April 2023.
  9. Somerset Council Scrutiny Committee - Recovering Access to Primary Care report. Her role as executive lead for the Recovering Access to Primary Care plan in 2023.
  10. Contact Us - NHS Somerset ICB. ICB head office address (Wynford House, Lufton Way, Yeovil, BA22 8HR) and the media enquiries address.
  11. NHS England » NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board. ICB address and website.

07  Contact & links

Website
nhssomerset.nhs.ukpublished here ↗
Press office email
somicb.communications@nhs.netpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.

Named officials of regulators, arms-length bodies and public agencies such as the CQC, NHS England or a local authority association. Citations are counted by an automated scan of UK press coverage and may be incomplete. Roles, biographies and contact details are researched and human-reviewed before they appear here; anything not yet reviewed is simply absent rather than shown unverified. This profile was last updated on 3 Nov 2026. See the methodology for how this page is built, or email contact@bridgeheadcommunications.com to correct anything on it.