University of Central Lancashire opens emergency dental hub to boost urgent NHS services
The University of Central Lancashire has opened a new emergency dental hub to provide additional support for the NHS.
In association with the NHS and FMCS Emergency Dental Service, the university has set up an urgent dental centre at its Preston campus. The aim is to provide support for existing urgent and out of hours NHS dental services in the local area. The centre is run by staff from the university’s School of Dentistry.
The urgent hub has already treated more than 100 patients, and it has quickly become a vital resource for dental providers in the area. While dental surgeries are closed or running limited services, patients who need immediate attention can contact Lancashire’s emergency dental helpline. If a patient requires an urgent appointment, they can then be referred to the Preston hub for treatment. The helpline is designed to benefit those who don’t have a dentist, as well as patients who cannot get an appointment at their local clinic.
In addition to providing care for adults in need of urgent assistance, the UCLan centre is also offering a scaled-back paediatric service. Many children who have visited are preparing for tooth extractions or other urgent dental treatments, which are administered by specialist teams at the Royal Preston Hospital.
Demand for NHS dental appointments is high at the moment, due to practices limiting patient numbers to enforce social distancing guidelines. Centres like the hub at UCLan are making a real difference at what is a very difficult time for dental teams and patients.
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