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Over 5,000 people to get NHS dentist

More than 5,000 letters have gone out to people living in Preston and nearby offering them a place with an NHS dentist.

The news comes after the equivalent of six new dentists were secured and existing dentists were encouraged to increase their NHS spaces.

People living in Preston, Leyland, Chorley, Buckshaw Village and Whittle-le-Woods will benefit from the extra NHS places with new dentists due to set up in those areas.

Patients hunting for NHS dental treatment who are registered on a database are the first to be offered the chance to register with the new dentists or with existing NHS dentists.

The Lancashire Evening Post revealed last year that 6,387 residents in Central Lancashire were registered on the database as waiting for an NHS dentist. Of these, 3,802 were from Preston alone.

But now, around 5,500 letters have gone out to people registered on the database asking them to call the practice they have been allocated to as soon as possible if they want to take up their place.

The PCT advertised in the British Dental Journal for dentists to submit tenders to provide the extra £1.3m of NHS dental appointments.

The money has funded the equivalent of six new dentists and an additional 46,000 units of dental activity. A course of treatment, such as a check and clean or a filling, counts as one unit.

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