Record Number Sign Up with an NHS Dentist in Worcestershire
A record number of people have signed up with an NHS dentist in Worcestershire.
The latest figures show that more than 3,000 people have signed up with an NHS dentist between October 2011 and January 2012 and places are still available, thanks to massive increases in the number of NHS dental places in the county.
In Redditch, almost 3,000 additional places have been created and there are now 24,000 more places across the county compared to last April.
NHS Worcestershire is also set to launch a new campaign to inform local people about the services available to them and encourage them to sign up with their local NHS dental practice.
The trust was badly affected by the introduction of the new dental contract by the Labour Government in 2006, with a large number of dentists choosing to go private. However, thanks to increased investment in NHS services in the county, patient numbers have increased hugely in line with improvements to access to dental care.
Sally Everton, dental commissioning manager for NHS Worcestershire, said that the trust has invested a large amount of money in dental services to ensure that residents are able to benefit from NHS dental care. She also added that the new campaign will help to banish the myth that it is impossible to find a dentist, as many people still think that they will not be able to join an NHS practice. However, this is not the case and there are many practices taking on new NHS patients across the county.
The trust is preparing to unveil Mighty Molar Man, a new superhero, who will spearhead the campaign and help to get people registering.
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