New Dental Clinic At Dunbar Hospital Opens On Thursday

10th January 2012

The new dental clinic at the Dunbar Hospital in Thurso, which has been built at a cost of £1.2 million, will significantly improve access to NHS dental services in Caithness when it opens tomorrow 11th January 2012.

The dental clinic represents significant investment in the Dunbar site and forms part of NHS Highland's plans to transform the site into a centre of excellence for health and well being in Thurso.

There are currently 4,833 people on the waiting list for NHS registration in the Caithness area and the practice will ensure that all these patients are offered an opportunity to register with them before opening registration up to the wider community.

NHS Highland Dental Service Development Manager, Alex Fraser, said: "The practice is being leased to General Dental Practitioner, Dr John Barry, and will be run as an NHS committed practice.

"Once it is fully staffed, the new practice will have the capacity to register 6,000 patients.

"It will build up its patient list over a number of months, with priority being given to patients registered with the Salaried Dental Team, which used to provide a service in Thurso, and those on the waiting list for NHS registration."

Ms Fraser explained that patients registered with the Salaried Dental Team will receive a letter by January 11 advising them that their registration will be transferred to the new practice.

The practice will contact them to arrange their next appointment when it is due. But these patients will have the opportunity to opt out and to access care in Wick, if this is their preferred option.

The people on the waiting list for NHS registration will then be prioritised into care and this will be done in stages with the first 1,500 people receiving letters before January 11.

This letter will offer patients the opportunity to register with the new practice and will ask their permission for NHS Highland to pass their details to the new practice for this purpose.

NHS Highland Assistant Clinical Dental Director, Robert Nicol, said: "This development is particularly welcome as it will help to ensure sustainable access to primary care dental services in the Caithness area."

Dr Barry said the new practice - to be known as the Dunbar Dental Clinic - will be very busy immediately looking after the patients on the waiting list.

He said: "Only patients from the waiting list will be seen until the list is cleared. This process will have to be stringently managed and it is estimated that the process will take a minimum of 12 months.

"The clinic will contact patients from the list in the order of priority, so please do not contact the clinic unless you have been offered a place. No registrations for a place will be offered at the clinic until the waiting list has been cleared."

The new practice will also provide emergency services for unregistered patients in partnership with the Salaried Dental Team in Wick, but patients using this service should be aware that attending an emergency appointment at the new clinic will not automatically register them with the practice.

Patients can access this service through the NHS Highland Dental Helpline on 0845 6442271.