Dental surgery opens in secret to avoid crush (From Daily Echo)

Dental surgery opens in secret to avoid crush

1:10pm Monday 2nd November 2009 in

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HEALTH chiefs are providing another new surgery as part of a £4m campaign to ease the shortage of NHS dentists in Hampshire.

A practice that is due to take on a total of 5,500 patients over the next 12 months opens in Lymington today. – but its location is being kept secret.

Health chiefs fear that scores of potential patients would turn up at the surgery en masse.

To avoid a snarl-up they want potential patients to register over the telephone or online.

The new surgery comes amid increasing concern about the number of New Forest residents who are currently unable to access an NHS dentist.

Terry Scriven, pictured, the Liberal Democrats’ prospective Parliamentary candidate for New Forest East, has written to Health Secretary Andy Burnham and the Government’s chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft.

He has also contacted Richard Popplewell, interim chief executive of NHS Hampshire, which is responsible for dental services.

His letter says: “Letters, telephone calls and discussions on the doorstep indicate that there’s a lack of patient access, a lack of treatment and absence of preventative care.

“The situation cannot continue.

I hope that extra resources can be put into the New Forest before it is too late.”

The Lymington surgery is part of a £4m campaign by NHS Hampshire to increase the number of NHS dentists in the county.

A spokesman said: “We know Hampshire residents are concerned about the amount NHS dental services available and are working hard to increase this.”

The spokesman was unable to provide any figures relating to the New Forest and could only say that 42.75 per cent of Hampshire residents had been seen by an NHS dentist in the past two years.

The new Lymington surgery would bring the number of NHS dental contracts in the New Forest area to 25.

Prospective patients must register by telephoning the dental helpline on 0845 050 8345 or going online - see related links below.