18,000 extra hours of NHS dentist appointments will soon be available in Suffolk
The contract's also intended to increase and upskill the local dental workforce
It may soon be easier to get an appointment with an NHS dentist in Suffolk.
That's because the University of Suffolk's been awarded a new dentistry contract which will provide an additional 18,000 hours of NHS only dental appointments for local people each year.
It's also intended to increase and upskill the local dental workforce.
The University of Suffolk Dental Community Interest Company (CIC) will deliver the new NHS Primary Care Dentistry supporting Dental Workforce Training and Education contract with a total budget of £2.2m a year over an initial five-year term.
The contract includes an option to extend by a further two years.
It will be operated out of ten fully-equipped dental surgery units in the University of Suffolk’s James Hehir building on the Ipswich waterfront.
The new service will also provide a teaching environment for student dental hygienists and therapists at the university and will offer placements for local dental nurses, dental therapists and hygienists who have recently qualified or are currently in training.
"18,000 additional hours of NHS only dental appointments"
Dr Ed Garratt, Chief Executive, SNEE ICB, said: “We took over dental commissioning responsibilities from NHS England on 1 April this year and we are determined to increase both the number of NHS dental appointments available and the dental workforce.
"This initiative will allow us to achieve both aims, by delivering annually 18,000 additional hours of NHS only dental appointments and attract dental workforce to train and hopefully stay locally.
“I am delighted to welcome the University of Suffolk Dental CIC as our new provider and am confident they will bring a dynamic and innovative approach to building more sustainable dental services in the future.”
"This is only the start"
Lorraine Mattis, Chief Executive at the University of Suffolk Dental CIC, said: “I am delighted that the University of Suffolk Dental Community Interest Company has been awarded this contract.
"We are excited at the prospect of developing a new model of organising and delivering dental care.
“This is only the start of our plans and we hope to build further innovations in the future.”
Professor Helen Langton, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Suffolk, said “One of the key aspects of this is providing workforce solutions to the current oral health challenges that exist.
“This will involve looking at what the current workforce can do by providing training that is further integrated with wider health care.
"The dental training and education aspect will include post graduate educational opportunities as well as wider training opportunities for newly qualified dentists alongside training of dental nurses, therapists and hygienists.”
It's due to open in winter 2023.