Dental staff in South Tyneside are celebrating after being rewarded for their developments in oral health care for disabled children .
Staff from the NHS South of Tyne and Wear dental service came second in the local health improvement category at the recent NHS Alliance 2010 Awards in Bournemouth for providing excellent standards of healthcare for children with disabilities in the borough.
The NHS awards recognise excellence in primary care, and the effort put in by health professionals to improve service and delivery.
Special care dentist Julie Fitzgerald, who works with the health services to improve dental care for disabled children, said: "We wanted to ensure that children who were already receiving care from paediatricians because of their special need should also have the opportunity to be seen by a dentist in the special care dental service at an early stage."
"Previously, many children were only being referred when there was a crisis involving hospital care. Now, the dentist is very much part of the multi-disciplinary team which looks at each individual child's needs."
Michael Sobanja, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, said: "Many health professionals working for the NHS put their heart and soul into making a difference for their patients, and whilst we all tend to focus on what needs to improve, it is crucial that we also pause to celebrate these achievements."
NHS South of Tyne and Wear was also praised at the awards ceremony for its efforts in helping local children with substance misuse problems.
