Walsall practice set to expand to increase capacity
A dental practice in Walsall is set to expand to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.
The owners of Hillary Street Dental Surgery are hoping to convert an existing garage at the Hillary Street premises to create a third surgery. The project would enable the team to hire an extra dentist with a view to offering more appointments and a wider range of services.
The planning application states that expanding the practice would ease pressure on the team and reduce waiting times for patients. More appointments would be available and patients could also access additional services, including orthodontics.
The statement outlined the current situation, highlighting the issue of dentist shortages and intense pressure on existing services. Waiting times for dental treatment are increasing and the average patient is now waiting around 2 years for orthodontic care.
The planning application will be reviewed by officers at Walsall Council and a decision is expected in June.
A BBC investigation carried out in summer 2022 revealed that 90% of UK dental practices were not offering new adult NHS places. In some areas, there were no NHS places available at all.
Adding a third surgery to the practice would create additional NHS places while decreasing waiting times for patients who are already registered. Recruiting a new dentist would also reduce pressure on the dentists already working at the practice. The team currently offers approximately 70 appointments per day.
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