In 2009 NHS Cumbria invested over £2.25million to create 37,500 new NHS dental places in both West Cumbria and Kendal. The majority of these places are being delivered in new purpose designed premises operated by Oasis Dental Care, with an existing dental provider in Kendal also taking on additional capacity.
Five new surgeries have since opened in Egremont, Maryport, Whitehaven, Workington and Kendal.
These all began operating by late summer 2009 and patients on NHS Cumbria’s dental database began being allocated to each surgery.
In order for each new patient to be assessed and follow-up appointments booked, allocation to the new dental places is being done in stages. Letters are being sent out to people who’ve been on the database the longest first, 1,000 at a time.
There are now around 19,000 people on the dental database and those wanting to be allocated in West Cumbria or Kendal are expected to have been offered an available place for NHS dental treatment by the end of this year.
Eric Rooney, consultant in dental public health, said: “It’s great news that we’re on track to allocate the new NHS dental places we announced last year within 18 months. It's a big undertaking to contact and offer places to over 35,000 people and I'd like to thank people currently on NHS Cumbria's dental database for their patience and understanding. Everyone will be contacted and offered a NHS dental place in due time.
“I'd like to reassure people that the hard work to deliver NHS dental care to people who need it has not finished. Another 27,500 NHS dental places will also come into operation in the next two years in other locations across Cumbria.”
Anyone who needs emergency dental treatment or advice should contact: 01228 603900 for North Cumbria; 01539 716822 for South Cumbria.
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