Dental Practice Makes Room For New NHS Patients

Mon, 10 Aug 2009

Around 2,000 places at a Northampton dental practice have been made available after it was revealed many existing patients failed to turn up for their appointments over the last few years.

A spokesman for the Kingsthorpe Grove Dental Surgery said many of its patients were not in favour of six-monthly check-ups and the practice is now looking to fill these places with new patients from across Northamptonshire .

He said: "Kingsthorpe is a very big area, with many patients, but some of the people in the last three or four years have not been taking up their appointments."

"We have tried to re-fill those places and that's what we are trying to achieve with the leaflets."

The surgery is now using NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines to extend the time between appointments for existing patients so that dentists can see to more patients.

NHS Northamptonshire has been working hard to boost access to dental care on the NHS after it was highlighted by residents in the county it as one of the areas they most wanted health bosses to improve.

So far this year, the PCT has invested more than £4 million in dental services to improve access across the region, with some of the funds going to Kingsthorpe Grove surgery to pay for its new patients.

Other practices which are also accepting new patients from all over Northamptonshire include Kettering Central Dental Practice and Mawsley Dental Clinic .

A spokesman for NHS Northamptonshire said: "We're delighted that Kingsthorpe Grove Dental Practice is now able to increase access to their dental services to such a wide number of new patients."
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