New Dentists To Boost Dental Care Access In Northern Ireland

Thu, 14 May 2009

A private firm has been awarded a £17m contract to supply 38 dentists to help resolve access difficulties to NHS dentistry in Northern Ireland .

The three-year contract has gone to Oasis Dental Care Ltd, which owns and operates 170 dental practices throughout England and Wales . The firm will provide the additional dentists in access ‘hotspots' across Northern Ireland .

The first of the 38 dentists will be appointed to areas of greatest need and should be in post by the end of the year, while the others will be in place to start work within 12 months of the initial practice opening.

The intention is that the dentists will not join existing practices but will instead open new premises.

Making the announcement, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said the new contract would provide access for an additional 57,000 NHS patients .

"I am confident that this initiative will greatly ease the current access problems, but my officials will continue to monitor the situation, and we shall take further action as is necessary to ensure that the general public has access to a Health Service dentist," he said.

"Oasis Dental Care has extensive expertise and experience in providing dental services to health Trusts across the United Kingdom and the standards they have set are impressive."

Dr Claudette Christie, director for BDA Northern Ireland, said the move was "a welcome step" towards addressing the problems that some patients who wish to access Health Service dentistry have faced since 2007.

She added: "While this is welcome news, it is not the sole solution to the problems dentists and their patients face. Also important is that the dentists Northern Ireland does have are properly supported."

"Today's announcement recognises both the importance of prevention and the significant cost of providing care . The BDA is currently negotiating a new contract which we hope will support a preventive approach."
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