A dentist has opened for business at the UK’s first in-store supermarket "polyclinic", offering patients access to dental treatments as well as an on-site GP, pharmacist and podiatrist .
The addition of a dentist's surgery to the portfolio of private and NHS healthcare facilities available at the Sainsbury's store in Heaton Park, Manchester, follows the huge success of the company’s first dental service, which opened in September at its supermarket in Sale, south Manchester.
The service aims to meet the expected demand at Heaton Park by doubling the number of consultation rooms from two to four and accommodating around 12,000 NHS patients each year.
Dentist Dr Lance Knight will provide a wide variety of treatments seven days a week including check-ups, crowns and implants.
The on-site doctor's surgery has been open since March last year and has already provided more than 1,500 consultations for NHS patients, who also have access to two pharmacists offer a number of services including and a podiatrist, who runs four clinics a week.
David Gilder, of Sainsbury's, said: "We are proud that Sainsbury's Heaton Park is the first UK supermarket to enjoy an integrated healthcare facility with a dentist, doctor, pharmacy and podiatrist all on-site."
"Our experience at Sainsbury's Sale shows us that the combination of a convenient location, flexible opening hours and competitively priced treatments will be very popular with local residents, many of whom will have found it difficult to access private dental care before now."
Graham Stringer, MP for Manchester Blackley, commented "The opening of the dental surgery is great news for the people of North Manchester. The success of the doctors based in the store has shown that there is a real need for easy access health facilities."
