PCT Announces Dental Boost for Gloucester City
20/05/2005
West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust has announced that a new dental practice, Eastgate Street Dental Centre at 121 - 123 Eastgate Street Gloucester, will open in early June 2005 providing capacity for 10,000 new NHS registrations.
The premises were secured by the PCT's business partner for the project, Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH) and the brand new facility will house 4 surgeries, staffed by four full time dentists. Refurbishment work has been completed at the new site, and when open, the practice will offer routine NHS dental care.
This project forms an integral part of the PCT's commitment to provide an additional 28,000 NHS dental registrations for residents of West Gloucestershire through the opening of two new dental practices (Cinderford and Gloucester) and by reaching agreement with local dentists in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean to provide NHS services.
In addition to the new practice, an existing Gloucester City dental practice located in Annandale House, 105 Eastgate Street is to open its list to NHS patients. The move has been made possible by a new dentist joining the practice, together with additional sessions provided by the current dentist. This will provide capacity for 2,250 NHS registrations.
Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust, Stephen Golledge said:
"These are important developments that build on the successful opening of the Cinderford practice in the Forest of Dean early this year. The public have been telling us that improving access to Dentistry is very important to them and the opening of the Eastgate Dental Practice, together with the additional NHS services at Annandale House, represents very welcome news for patients."
"Although these developments mean that we will be able to significantly increase the availability of NHS dentistry in the City, we are not complacent as we know that there is still much work to be done to improve access still further."
The PCT has stressed that it will not be possible for patients to register with either Eastgate Street Dental Centre or Annandale House by visiting the practices, by telephoning the practices or by post.
Patients wishing to register will need to contact a Registrations Helpline on 01452 389501 or 01452 389428 from 09.00am on Tuesday 24th May 2005. Patient details will be taken, and patients will then be contacted to arrange a first appointment. Local people are asked to be patient as the PCT anticipates that there will be high levels of interest.
