Rochdale set for improved dental service
Residents in Rochdale and the surrounding area are set to benefit from an improved dental service.
NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale has announced the introduction of a new service, known as the new Dental Clinic Assessment and Treatment Service (Dental CATS), which will treat patients in need of specialist treatment. Previously, patients would have been referred to hospital.
The new dental service will operate from the Phoenix Centre in Heywood and The Langley Dental Practice in Middleton; the location for the service in Rochdale is still to be confirmed but the Primary Care Trust has announced that the service will be up and running in the town by March 2011.
The new service will hopefully enable patients to receive treatment closer to home, as well as reducing the workload of hospital staff. In recent years, doctors have reported an increase in the number of dental cases being treated in hospital and this has placed greater pressure on NHS medical resources; the new system will help to ease the pressure and ensure doctors have the time and resources to deal with medical patients. Many patients will also be comforted by the fact that they no longer have to go to hospital for treatment; for many, going to hospital can be a daunting experience and may make them feel nervous and anxious.
John Pierce, chairman of the local PCT, said the new service was one of many initiatives being launched to improve NHS dental services in the area; over the last two years, more than a million pounds have been invested in the area and further improvements are set to follow.
The CATS service will be used for patients over the age of 18 on the condition that they are registered with a local GP; patients who have severe symptoms which may suggest a more serious health condition may still be referred to hospital, as they may require specialist medical care.
Join this Discussion