Laura Sandys and Sir Roger Gale have welcomed the announcement of two new dental contracts in Thanet, ensuring that 15,000 NHS dental places for Thanet residents are now secure. These places will permanently replace those lost when the Ramsgate and Sandwich ADP practices were required to end their NHS contracts last year. Patients have had temporary access to other dentists but from April new long-term contracts will be in place providing readier access and greater continuity for local residents.
Laura said: “As soon as Sir Roger and I heard that ADP’s NHS patients had begun to receive letters advising that they would no longer be able to see a dentist on the NHS at their usual practice, we called a crisis meeting to get all the key parties around one table. We ensured that everyone was aware just how imperative it was to get the new NHS providers in place as quickly as possible and as close as practicable to the previous practices. I am delighted that these 15,000 NHS places are secure.”
Sir Roger Gale MP said: “The termination of the previous contracts by the Primary Care Trust caused wholly avoidable and unnecessary distress to patients. It is, therefore, a huge relief to know that a new service is now secure and we hope and expect that this will satisfy the needs of those of our constituents requiring NHS dental treatment”.
Anyone in Thanet seeking an NHS dentist can call the Dental Helpline on 0808 2389797 to find their nearest NHS practice taking on patients or to have their name put on a list that will be passed to the new providers in Sandwich and Ramsgate.