At a glance
We are leading a major project to transform the technology used to support NHS dentists and commissioners alongside Accenture.
The NHS Dental Services Portal (NHSDSP) will replace the existing system, Compass, with a modern, scalable platform.
NHSDSP has been designed to streamline the claims process so users can complete submissions more quickly and focus on patient care.
Annually, we process around £2.3 billion in contractual payments through Compass.
The new portal represents a significant digital step forward in how we support NHS dentistry, now and into the future.
Setting the scene
Compass is the core system behind NHS dentistry and is used to:
process dentists' claim submissions for dental activity
calculate and pay contract holders in line with their NHS dentistry contracts
manage an assurance role on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Welsh Government
NHS Dental Services also offers the same services to the Isle of Man Government, excluding payments directly to their contract holders.
Why change is needed
The system behind NHS dentistry is being asked to do more than ever. Compass currently supports around 9,000 active dental contracts, more than 35,000 registered accounts and a growing range of policy, assurance and data requirements.
While it continues to perform a vital role and has always successfully paid dentists on time, it was built for a different era and is increasingly constrained by its age and design.
To deliver meaningful dental reform, we need more than incremental improvements.
We need a new, resilient digital solution which can:
be flexible
safely support new contractual and payment models
strengthen assurance
adapt as policy, service and population needs evolve
At the same time, dental providers and commissioners need a better experience, with less administration, clearer processes and data they can trust.
NHSDSP is our response to that challenge. By replacing Compass, we are creating the conditions for faster change, improved resilience and better insight, increasing confidence towards the system within NHS dentistry. Most importantly, this transformation supports better outcomes for providers, commissioners and patients alike.
Who the project is for
The project is for all users of the system across England, Wales and Isle of Man. This primarily includes dental practices and their staff, as well as commissioners. There will also be internal users from NHS Dental Services within the Primary Care Services directorate.
The new portal won't just reduce administration and improve usability – it will also give us much better data. This will allow us to:
identify trends quickly
gain clearer insight across services
provide timely information for decision-makers
Our progress so far
As of 14 April 2026, we have:
designed over 1,400 custom screens
refined over 650 functional requirements
invested over 1,000 hours to refine and design reviews
done over 450 testing sessions with users
created our first contract within NHSDSP
proved integrations between contracts, business rules, user management and notifications
Looking ahead
The project is expected to go live in Autumn 2026, with project roll-off in Spring 2027, and continues to bring together expertise from across the business, alongside external partners and specialists in technology, project management and change management. This collaborative approach ensures the new portal is shaped by real user needs and embedded effectively across services.