Enfield residents angry over plans for dental surgery closure
Residents in the village of Enfield are angry after NHS bosses revealed plans to close the local dental surgery without providing alternative arrangements.
The Enfield Island Dental Access Centre will close next Monday after bosses decided that the building was not in suitable repair. Residents are angry that they were not consulted about the closure and have been left wondering where they will receive dental care in the future.
Tony Thake, chairman of the Enfield Island Village Resident’s Association, said that it was completely unacceptable that residents had not been told about the closure of the dental practice. Mr Thake said that this was not the first time the residents had been let down by the local NHS trust.
The dental centre opened in 2001 and served Barnet, Enfield and Haringey; it was originally opened to provide emergency dental treatment for patients but gradually turned into a routine care centre.
The health trust has argued that it is only doing what other trusts across the UK are doing. Christine Williams, associate director at NHS Enfield, said that treatment provided by the centre will now be provided by other dentists in the local area. The money saved by closing the Island Dental Access centre will now be invested in other dental services in the Enfield area. A new practice will employ the staff previously employed at the dental centre. Many practices in Enfield have spaces available for new patients and any patients affected by the closure are advised to contact surgeries directly or call NHS Enfield.
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