New dentist places for Winchester

Hampshire Health bosses are now planning a significant number of extra NHS dentist places in Winchester – including a new centre that will be open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m.

Winchester’s Prospective Lib Dem MP, Martin Tod, met Hampshire health bosses in late October to get an update on plans following his campaign over the last 2 years for more dentist places.

Martin Tod commented:

“I’ve been pushing to get extra NHS dentist places for Winchester for over 2 years, so I’m very pleased to see this plan for a new centre.

“There’s a real need for these new places. There was a collapse in the number of people going to NHS dentists after Labour brought in a new contract for dentists in March 2007. The numbers are now recovering, but they’re still below what they were.”

In Martin Tod’s 2007 Health Survey, 43% of local people had problems finding a local NHS dentist. Even now, NHS places only rarely come available. In a survey by Mark Oaten in Summer 2009, 22% of people said they had not visited a dentist in the last year.

Mr Tod got national news coverage when he helped Winchester resident, Elizabeth Green, find a dentist after she felt forced to pull out two of her own teeth – and this was one of the things that led NHS bosses to look again at plans for Winchester.

To find the nearest NHS dentist or to get emergency care, call the Hampshire Dental Helpline on 0845 050 8345 or visit http://www.hampshiredentalhelpline.nhs.uk/.