A specialist dental surgeon is set to be allocated to carry out operations in Spalding in a bid to improve NHS care in the area.
The Intermediate Minor Oral Surgery (IMOS) will see professionals stationed in three towns who are able to carry out ‘complex dental extractions’ on a referral basis.
It’s hoped the measure will lead to people living in what the NHS brand ‘dental deserts’ such as South Holland, wouldn’t have to travel as far if they need surgery and look to cut waiting times.
It’s being created by the NHS in an attempt to standardise dental offerings across the midlands region.
In Lincolnshire that includes recruiting three specialists, one of whom would be based in Spalding, with the others in Lincoln and Skegness.
A bidding process for practices to apply to provide the service is completed and the NHS hopes it will be commenced this summer, a report to Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, which meets this week, states.
It will initially be funded for seven years with the option to extend that for a further three years.
It will aim to address geographic inequalities, the report to Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Panel states and as well as Spalding, specialists will also be based in Lincoln and Skegness.
The report states: “The service provides specialist treatment e.g. complex dental extractions by a clinician with enhanced skills and experience that is either on the oral surgery specialist list or accredited in line with national guidance.
“Treatment may be provided under local anaesthetic and the clinician may use quality behavioural management techniques or provide treatment under conscious sedation where appropriate for minor oral surgery procedures.”
The report continues that two NHS dentists in the county have lowered the number of appointments it provides to NHS patients recently saying they had not being able to recruit and retain staff.
A £20,000 payment has been offered as a ‘Golden Hello’ to attract dentists.
That’s been taken up by four who have moved to Lincolnshire with seven more applicants having been included in a Local Dental Recruitment Scheme, according to the report.
The Voice contacted the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, which oversees NHS dental provision in the county, to ask for more information and to see if the procurement process for the IMOS had been announced, but the ICB had not responded as the newspaper went to press on Wednesday morning.
