NHS England confirms new contracts for dental practices in Portsmouth
NHS England has confirmed that new contracts will be awarded to dental practices in Portsmouth in July.
Representatives from NHS England have been looking for providers to take on new contracts after Swiss chain, Colosseum Dental, closed down three city centre practices in 2019. The unexpected move left thousands of patients without access to a dentist.
Since Colosseum Dental closed three clinics in Portsmouth, providers across the city, including Bupa Dental and Perfect Smile, have stepped in to offer temporary access to services for patients, but now, a permanent solution has been found. After delays caused by the pandemic, NHS England will now move to award permanent contracts by the end of this month.
In a letter sent to representatives of the council’s health, wellbeing and scrutiny committee, dental senior commissioning manager, Nick Spence, explained that there has been a delay in awarding contracts, due to the Covid-19 crisis. He added that the aim is now to confirm contract holders by the end of July, but revealed that it could be some time before the practices are open and running at full capacity. In light of the crisis, practices are implementing additional safety measures and appointments are restricted, so it could be several months before the chosen clinics are ready to accept patients.
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