November 6, 2019 12.28 pm This story is over 52 months old

More NHS dental care but thousands more spaces needed

There is a severe shortage of NHS dentists in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire towns will get more dental services from next year, but thousands more NHS spaces are needed.

NHS England has announced that from March 2020 there will be more routine dental treatment in Boston and Louth, as well as a new year-round 8am to 8pm service in Spalding.

However, Healthwatch Lincolnshire said it is still concerned that the NHS was unable to secure additional contracts in Spalding, Mablethorpe and Skegness.

The independent consumer watchdog said that there was a severe shortage of NHS dentists in Lincolnshire.

During a meeting between the NHS and Healtwatch, it became clear that patients were being forced to travel significant distances from around the county to Lincoln for orthodontic appointments.

New plans are currently in the works to bring orthodontic services to Gainsborough, Boston, Spalding, Grantham, Sleaford, Lincoln, Horncastle or Louth.