To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
12
Jul
A dental centre in Boroughbridge has opened an emergency clinic to treat non-registered patients who are in pain.
Boroughbridge Dental Centre is working alongside the NHS to provide emergency care for the community.
The aim of the clinic is to help people in need of emergency dental care, who are in pain or need immediate treatment.
The clinic is open three days a week Monday, 11:30am-1pm, Wednesday, 11am-12:30pm and Friday 11:30am- 1pm.
The clinic is appointment only and there are seven appointments available per clinic, meaning the practice already has limited availability.
There will be one dentist working at the clinic who will treat dental issues such as abscesses, broken teeth, and lost fillings.
The cost of an appointment will be a standard NHS band 1 charge of £26.80. Unless patients are exempt from dental charges, in which case patients will have to provide proof of exemption.
No clients who attend the emergency clinic will be added to or registered on the practice’s NHS list as the list is currently at full capacity.
Eliane Buck, practice manager at Boroughbridge Dental Centre, told the Stray Ferret they are the only practice to offer the service in the town.
She said:
After covid we realised the access to dental care was becoming an issue in our community. We applied for NHS funding to offer an extra clinic to try our best to help people.
Elaine Buck, practice manager at Boroughbridge Dental Centre. Images: Boroughbridge Dental Centre
Boroughbridge Dental Centre is a mixed surgery offering NHS, private and Denplan.
The clinic has been offering emergency appointments to patients on the NHS list since December 2022.
The centre has now opened emergency clinics to ensure anyone who is non-registered and in pain can access emergency care. The centre announced this decision yesterday.
Ms Buck said:
It has been received really well. We have already got around 35 emails and had several phone calls making appointments. People seem really grateful to be offered this opportunity.
Often people can’t afford private dental care and feel like they don’t have access to anything because they aren’t registered. Sometimes patients will have gone without check-ups for years and now have abscesses or broken teeth causing them pain.
We are here to help and we prioritise people in pain.
To make an appointment email reception@boroughbridgedental.co.uk or call 01423 322757, subject to limited availability.
0