Spalding to have two new NHS dental services in January

Spalding dental patients will have a choice of two NHS services in January.

NHS England is investing nearly £3.4million a year to re-open the extended access dental service at Johnson Community Hospital, bring a new surgery to town and open other practices around the county.

Patient watchdog Healthwatch Lincolnshire describes the re-opening of the hospital extended access centre as “one of the most important announcements” made as the NHS revealed details of its investment in the county.

In November 2017, Healthwatch Lincolnshire chief executive officer Sarah Fletcher appealed through our pages for the public to speak up about the lack of NHS dental services in Spalding.

Following Thursday’s NHS England announcement, she said: “Healthwatch has received an unprecedented number of calls from Lincolnshire residents concerning access to NHS dental services and this is one great example of how people’s voices can make a difference.

“Healthwatch continued to share all of the commentsv we received - anonymously - with NHS England and as a result they recognised the need to provide new dental services in Lincolnshire sooner rather than later.”

The NHS contracts with the Spalding providers will run for seven years with options to renew for a further three.

An interim service opened at Johnson Community Hospital after 1A Dental quit in August last year and NHS England says that will continue until January when Community Dental Services CIC step in.

The hospital service will run from 8am-8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8am-6.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8.30am-1pm on Saturdays and 9am-12.30pm on alternate Sundays (except Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday).

JDSP Dental Ltd will run a Spalding practice from 8am-8pm 365 days a year along with ones in Lincoln and Sleaford.

Previously ...

‘Speak up on Spalding’s NHS dentist fiasco’