Northamptonshire Dentist Shortage Behind UK Average

Thu, 25 Sep 2008

Northamptonshire is in need of 50 more NHS dentists in the next five years in order to prevent it from falling further behind for access to NHS dentistry .

The county needs 21 more dentists just to stay in line with its increasing population and a further 50 by 2013 to keep up with the national average – increasing to 92 by 2026 to stay on target.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust said it was working with existing dentists to ensure patients receive the best value and most accessible, quality services .

"It is important the provision of NHS dental care is maintained and extended in line with the anticipated population expansion," the spokesman commented.

"The PCT needs to increase the access to NHS dentistry and should aim to increase both the number and proportion of the population who have seen an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months," he added.

In 2006, PCT appointed eight new NHS dentists in two practices in the region to help tend to the 20,000 patients in need of care .

The move was in response to a newspaper report that claimed more than half of all adults and a third of children in the area were not registered with an NHS dentist .
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