Spalding has a new urgent dental centre for people needing help during the coronavirus outbreak
Patients in need of urgent dental care will be able to access treatment at a new urgent dental centre in South Holland.
NHS England has announced that there are 30 new urgent dental centres are open across the region - including one in Spalding.
Face-to-face dental activity has halted at practices across the area since the coronavirus outbreak had begun but people needing help should initially call their usual NHS practice during working hours or NHS 111 at weekends and evenings.
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Patients will then receive a telephone or video consultation with urgent cases being referred onto one of the new urgent dental care centres, which will operate on an appointment only basis.
These centres have been established to meet the needs of people who are possible or confirmed Covid-19 patients, those who are shielded, those who are vulnerable or those who do not fit into these categories.
In addition, people seeking help should not visit A&E departments or GP surgeries for dental care - they will not be seen and will be directed back to their own dental practice or to NHS 111.
Trish Thompson, director of Primary Care with NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands said: “We now have a system in place to ensure that those people who have an urgent dental care need during the Covid-19 pandemic have access to treatment.
"It has been a collective team effort which we hope will help those with the most urgent dental problems.
“Every member of dental staff will wear full PPE to protect patients and also themselves. Each surgery will be ventilated and cleaned after each patient to prevent the transmission of the virus ensuring that the services we offer are safe. My thanks go to each and every member of dental staff for the role that they play in providing this care.
“These arrangements have been made at pace, and NHS England and NHS Improvement will monitor closely to ensure these meet the needs of the local population and will also take any learning from the Covid-19 incident to help inform the future design, access, resilience and sustainability of dental services.”