NHS England hopes to open new dental practice on the Isle of Wight
NHS England is hoping to open a new dental practice on the Isle of Wight by spring 2022.
There is currently a shortage of dentists on the island, and patients are waiting for treatment or being advised to travel to the mainland. Representatives from NHS England have suggested that there are plans to open a new dental clinic on the island within the next 12 months to ease pressure and provide more residents with access to local services.
At a recent meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s health and scrutiny committee, Alison Cross, senior dental commissioning manager for NHS England South East, said that she was optimistic that capacity could be increased on the island.
One measure that may make a difference is the proposed restart of overseas registration exams for dentists who want to move to the UK from other countries. This would not be a “quick fix” Ms Cross admitted, but it will hopefully boost dentist numbers in the years ahead.
Reduced capacity at island dental practices is contributing to increased waiting times, Ms Cross suggested, as clinics are still only running at 85% of pre-pandemic levels due to Covid infection control measures.
The way dental services are commissioned is changing from the summer. Alison Smith, managing director of NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight, said that the new system will provide “a real opportunity” as services will commissioned locally, rather than nationally.
Ms Smith stated that the new approach would enable local NHS commissioners to work with care partners to come up with and implement “innovative ideas” that solve local problems.
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