Dental project gives people something to smile about in Northumberland
A dental project is giving people in Northumberland something to smile about.
Recently, NHS North of Tyne launched a multimillion pound project to try and improve access to local NHS dental services, after the Northumberland Care Trust identified a need for further investment in NHS dentistry in the region. Representatives from the trust met with members of the public to discuss their concerns and suggestions regarding local NHS dental services.
NHS North of the Tyne, the local Primary Care Trust which works alongside the Northumberland Care Trust, has invested 5.5 million pounds in local dental services and a number of new NHS practices and clinics have opened in the last 18 months. Last year, Tweedmouth Dental Clinic opened in Berwick and a new surgery opened in Alnwick in September; in October, a new practice also opened in Whitley Bay.
Jeff Goldthorpe, head of dentistry at NHS North of the Tyne, said that the extra investment had made a huge difference to local people. The NHS has also recruited more dentists and investment has been focused on areas which were identified as being underserved.
In recent years, thousands of NHS places have been made available. The new Alnwick clinic has created more than 5,000 dental places and a number of existing dental clinics have increased the number of NHS places available.
Patients who are looking to register with a dentist in the North East are advised to contact NHS Direct or the NHs Dental Helpline; patients can also visit the NHS website to find details of local dentists with available NHS places.
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