Dental Visits At An All-Time High In Bradford City Centre
The number of people seeing a dentist in Bradford city centre has reached an all-time high, according to recent figures.
The latest figures from the NHS show that 90 per cent of people living in the centre of Bradford made a dental appointment in the last two years, representing one of the highest percentages in the UK.
Despite the positive news, the statistics also confirmed vast variations in the region, with the percentage of people attending a dental appointment within the last 24 months falling to just 42 per cent in the towns and villages on the periphery of Bradford city centre.
Figures for the wider area, which includes Saltaire, Bingley, Tong and Heaton, were well below the UK average.
The positive news for city centre practices is likely to be linked to greater investment in dental services. Recently, five new surgeries have opened increasing the number of NHS places significantly.
Changes in the management of local dental services mean that Bradford CCG is no longer responsible for the provision of dental care and the responsibility now lies with NHS England.
A spokesman for the NHS said that there was a clear disparity between figures for the centre of Bradford and the surrounding areas and this was an issue that would be looked at very carefully. He also added that measures are already being discussed to improve access to NHS dental services in Bradford, but did not clarify whether this means extending opening hours or opening new practices.
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