Isle of Wight dental practices to offer more appointments after securing additional funding
Two dental practices located on the Isle of Wight will provide additional appointments after securing extra funding, it has been confirmed.
The surgeries in Ventnor and Bembridge will start offering appointments on Saturdays for a limited time after securing additional funding from NHS England. The appointments will be available to patients who do not currently have a dentist and for those who require urgent dental treatment.
The news comes after practices appealed for more money from NHS England to allow more patients to receive treatment. There had been worries about access to NHS care and a report compiled by Healthwatch Isle of Wight revealed serious concerns about patients struggling to get an appointment. Some patients had reported suffering from severe dental pain, while some parents said that their children had never seen a dentist due to shortages of dentists on the island.
Local MP, Bob Seeley, welcomed news of more appointments for islanders and said that the Saturday surgery sessions would allow those who need urgent help to be seen as quickly as possible. Mr Seeley had recently written to the health secretary to voice concerns about the lack of provision on the island and the MP for the Isle of Wight was pleased to see what he described as the “first step” being taken to improve access.
Patients have been advised to contact the practices to make an appointment for the additional sessions on Saturdays, but representatives have stressed that they are reserved for those with urgent needs.
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