Western Cheshire is benefiting from extra dental capacity thanks to a three-year expansion programme for dental services throughout the region.
The expansion has resulted in an extra 30 NHS dentists providing access to dental treatment, helping the area’s Primary Care Trust (PCT) to ensure its population can now access NHS dental services no matter where they live.
The PCT has now ensured that gaps left by dental practices that opted out of providing NHS services have been filled by new services that are within a reasonable travelling distance and don’t require patients to pay private fees .
The PCT is responsible for working with local dentists to set contracts for NHS dental services to ensure patients can access them when they need them.
According to NHS figures, 84 per cent of children in Western Cheshire attended dental practices and 65 per cent of adults in 2007, compared with national figures of 70 per cent of children and 51 per cent of adults.
Helen Bellairs, chief executive of the PCT, commented: "This good news for patients on access means we can now focus on preventing dental disease ."
"We firmly believe we have the capacity for all residents to obtain NHS dental services in a family-friendly environment."
