Hope new dentist to open in March

A new dentist for Spalding with extended opening hours is again set to open next March, but hopes of a second new practice for the town have been dashed again.

As reported last year, amid a huge demand, NHS England awarded contracts to two companies to open dentist practices in the town in 2019, only for both to pull out citing recruitment issues.

Now NHS England has announced the results of the same procurement for practices to open in 2020.

The preferred bidder for one of these in Spalding is Sleaford based JDSP.

It will provide services from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year offering 25,000 appointments a year.

A report to Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, announcing the preferred bidders states: “The 8 to 8 service model of care is designed to offer routine as well as urgent care for patients not linked to a dental practice.

“The services are expected to encourage patients into routine care, either at the site/s or with other local dental practices.”

However there was “no preferred bidder identified” for a second new practice.

This was meant to be open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm along with extra sessions including Saturday mornings.

There were also no preferred bidders for practices in Mablethorpe and Skegness/Spilsby while practices are to be created in Boston and Louth for 15,000 and 10,000 appointments respectively.

The Health Scrutiny report, states: “The Midlands regional office (NHS England) will work with the preferred bidders over the next six months to ensure the mobilisation of the new practices are on track to enable services to commence delivery on March 1, 2020.

“As the procurement process did not identify preferred bidders for three lots, the regional office will consider how to manage commissioning of General Dental Services to improve access in these areas in the interim and longer term solutions.

“In addition, the dental workforce project is exploring options to support dental recruitment into the Lincolnshire area.”

The Voice contacted JDSP for a quote but had not received one at the time of going to press.