Manx Care has announced plans to increase the capacity of dental services in the north of the island.
It comes as Smile Dental has confirmed it is working towards restarting dental services in Ramsey later this year.
Earlier this year Smile Dental stopped providing services in the island, having previously been forced to relocate from its Ramsey base.
But Manx Care says Smile is now looking to resume services in Ramsey in alternative premises. More information is set to be revealed shortly.
This means that Smile’s plan to move into dental unit at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital will not go ahead.
Patients registered with Smile Dental will be able to continue accessing their routine dental care through the practice when services recommence. In the interim, Manx Care will continue to provide urgent and emergency dental treatment for Smile Dental patients as required.
Meawhile Manx Care will use the temporary dental unit at the Cottage Hospital. A salaried dentist will commence providing services from the RDCH dental unit from the week commencing starting November 2.
Initially, the Manx Care service will provide appointments for:
- Patients from the northern locality who are currently on the NHS dental waiting list. These patients will be contacted directly by Manx Care and do not need to make contact separately.
- Unregistered patients requiring emergency dental treatment.
- Smile Dental patients requiring urgent or emergency care until Smile Dental resumes routine services from its new premises.
Increased Availability
A Manx Care spokesperson stated: “While we are pleased that Smile Dental is progressing plans to resume services in Ramsey, we have also taken the opportunity to introduce additional NHS dental provision from Ramsey District Cottage Hospital site.
“The combination of Smile Dental’s return and the delivery of additional access by Manx Care will increase the overall availability of dental care on the Island and help improve access for patients who have been waiting for treatment. Manx Care is committed to the development of health and care communities and understands that people are the centre of all that we do.”