One dentist closes, but another opens

Currently, Community Dental Services (CDS) have 13 clinics in Luton and Beds, boasting specialist equipment and training to treat patients with special care needs who are not able to go to a general NHS dentist. But some of the clinics only run part time in buildings which no longer meet standards for decontamination and disabled access.

NHS Bedfordshire, which funds the service, has developed proposals with CDS to deliver a more efficient service from fewer clinics.

Dunstable Health Centre in Priory Gardens, Dunstable, will have shut its doors by October 31. The Community Dental Service will be writing to patients at the clinic over the next couple of months with more information about future arrangements and to help ensure continuity of care.

All affected patients can continue to be treated in an alternative CDS clinic or at a general NHS dental practice.

The Houghton Regis Health Centre will open in November in Bedford Square and there are still existing Luton clinics at Liverpool Road Health Centre in Mersey Place and Marsh Farm Health Centre in The Purley Centre.

Tony Medwell, NHS Bedfordshire’s head of primary care commissioning, said: “These changes will enable CDS to provide the same full range of high quality services for the same number of patients in a far more efficient way.

“That is essential at a time when the NHS has to get the best possible value for the taxpayers’ money.”

The mobile unit and home visiting service to patients living in residential care are both unaffected.