When the Ramsgate and Sandwich dental practices ended their contracts in August 2012, 6,334 NHS spots were lost, with the patients being offered temporary access to care across East Kent and Medway; now the National Health Service has announced that 15,000 places will be added to their register, which should be available from April this year.
Head of Primary Care Dental services in the area, Annie Godden, said that contract negotiations with the new provider were currently being finalised, making sure that the places are available by April 2013 to cover the patients who have been waiting in temporary care. The clinics providing the places are expected to cover the Ramsgate and Sandwich area easily, so that patients don’t have to travel further than usual to make it to appointments.
Two Thanet MP’s have welcomed the news that more dental treatment will be available to the general public; Laura Sandys said that ‘We ensured that everyone was aware just how imperative it was to get the new NHS providers in place as quickly as possible and as close as practicable to the previous practices. I am delighted that these 15,000 NHS places are secure.’
Sir Roger Gale described the developments as ‘a huge relief’ and said that this should ‘satisfy the needs of those of our constituents requiring NHS dental treatment.’