Dental school praised for community spirit

Sample News Big

The Peninsula Dental School has been praised by visiting MPs and local officials for its ‘community ethos.’

The school, which is located in Portsmouth, is a multi-million pound development, which provides excellent training facilities for student dentists, dental nurses and hygienists. The school also has a successful community outreach programme, which includes three outreach units in Exeter, Truro and Devonport.

The students are able to learn on the job and benefit from excellent training facilities. Dr Barry Cockcroft, chief dental officer in England, praised the spirit of the centre and supported the community outreach strategies. Dr Cockcroft claimed that the centre would improve standards of oral health in the local area and promote a community-based way of thinking, which would be beneficial for all local people.

Dean of the Peninsula Dental School, Professor Liz Kay, said that the development of the Derriford education facility at Tamar Science Park was extremely important because it was the last stage of the outreach programme. The Derriford facility is the fourth outreach unit; it will treat up to 120 NHS dental patients a day when it opens next September. Professor Kay said the school provided unrivalled professional experience for students and claimed that early contact with NHS patients was invaluable for undergraduates.

It is also hoped that many of the students will decide to work in the area when they qualify, which will help to improve standards of NHS care in the surrounding area in the future.

Join this Discussion

Comments are closed.