Delays in finalising NHS dental contracts in Darlington has led to calls for NHS bosses to ‘pull their finger out’.
MP Peter Gibson urged the local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) to find another NHS dentist following the closure of a dental surgery earlier this year.
In August, NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB commissioned work on a new contract in the area, according to a BBC report.
However, plans for the contract are not yet finalised.
Urgent fix
Speaking in Parliament, Gibson said: ‘Firthmoor Community Centre has a ready-made and well-established facility.
‘My constituents have waited long enough for the ICB to pull their finger out and fix this urgent problem.
‘It is disappointing that the solution we’re all looking for is within the ICB’s grasp to resolve.’
This comes as Toothless in England, the campaign group calling for an NHS dentist for everyone, attended a roundtable meeting on NHS dentistry.
Hosted by the new minister for public health, start for life and primary care, Andrea Leadsom MP, it took place on Wednesday 13 December at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Long-term solutions
The invitation to the discussion stated that the minister ‘…has been reviewing the evidence and work on this to date with fresh eyes and would be keen to meet key stakeholders to hear your priorities and suggestions for both short and long-term solutions to the challenges currently facing NHS dentistry in England, with the aim of creating an ongoing regular quarterly dental stakeholder forum and sounding board.’
Toothless in England’s Mark Jones said: ‘We are very happy that the government now acknowledges Toothless in England.
‘By actively contributing to these discussions, we hope that the emphasis will shift to offering patient-first solutions.
‘Apart from a complete overhaul of the current NHS dental contract, the first priorities should be the reopening of all hospital-based dental facilities to provide emergency treatments, early intervention through community and school-based oral health monitoring and education, and the provision of special grants to recruit and train dental students to work within the NHS for at least five years.’
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