Chloe Smith welcomes new dentist appointments from today following ongoing campaign to increase provision in Norwich

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North has welcomed news that from today there will be increased dental provision across Norfolk following an ongoing campaign to increase the amount of dentist appointments in Norwich.

NHS England - East of England have confirmed that after the completion of a procurement exercise to offer contracts to deliver 8am to 8pm dental services from 1 July 2022, Smile Care Norfolk Limited has been selected to serve King’s Lynn and Norwich in Norfolk, and The Dental Design Studio will serve Lowestoft in Suffolk.

These new services will be available to NHS patients, adults and children in need of dental treatment both routine and urgent, between 8am and 8pm, 365 days a year including bank holidays.

Chloe has been campaigning for increased NHS dental provision following a shortage of appointments. Chloe has been working with local dentists and has written to the Health Secretary to raise local issues.

Chloe is also campaigning for increased GP surgeries as well as extra dental provisions as essential infrastructure at sites for new housing developments in and around Norwich.

Chloe comments: “I welcome the news of this additional 8am-8pm dental service provision, I understand the frustration many of my constituents have felt in struggling to obtain an NHS dentist appointment and hope this extra provision will go some way to easing those pressures. I am encouraging local authorities who are responsible for granting planning permission for new homes to encourage developers to include new GP and Dentist practices in their plans to ensure existing residents, as well as the residents of tomorrow can access the essential services they need.”

 

 

The address and contact details for the new contracts are as follows:

 

Norwich

Smile Care Norfolk Limited

The Siskin Centre

Norwich Community Hospital

Bowthorpe Road

Norwich

Norfolk

NR2 3TU

Telephone number: 01603 558557

 

Kings Lynn

Smile Care Norfolk Limited

115 to 117 High Street

King’s Lynn

Norfolk

PE30 1DD

Telephone number: 01553 223193 

 

Lowestoft

The Dental Design Studio

21 to 23 Regent Road

Lowestoft

Suffolk

NR32 1PA

Telephone number: 01502 567568

 

Existing Dental Access Centres (DAC) in King’s Lynn and Norwich will close on Thursday 30 June 2022. However, patients will be able to contact the new 8 to 8 Dental Service providers from Friday 1 July 2022.

 

NHS England - East of England is working along with Smile Care Norfolk Limited and The Dental Design Studio, as well as the wider dental community, to provide patients who need NHS dental services with suitable access through local providers wherever possible.