Health services in Bury St Edmunds could be improved as plans for a new dentist and pharmacy in the town were revealed this week on www.buryfreepress.co.uk.
The backlog of dental patients in Bury could be eased as Suffolk Primary Care Trust, now known as NHS Suffolk, plans to open a new dental surgery in the town centre in March.
NHS bosses are staying tight-lipped about the exact location of the new practice, but a planning application by Integrated Dental Holdings has been submitted to hang a nameplate sign at the former Missha nailbar site, in King’s Road Mews, Bury.
NHS Suffolk said the new site, to be run by Whitecross Dentalcare Ltd, would have good accessibility and disabled parking spaces.
Clare Banyard, head of primary care at NHS Suffolk, said: ‘We are very pleased to be working with Whitecross Dentalcare Ltd.
‘Ensuring NHS dental treatment is available to everyone who wants it is one of our priorities and this level of investment reflects the importance we place on it.’
In its annual report last year, NHS Suffolk highlighted Bury as having a shortage of dentists and earmarked the town as a priority for investment.
The new practice will form part of a £1.3 million investment by NHS Suffolk to improve access to dentistry across the county, with a further £500,000 earmarked for orthodontic services.
Anyone who wants to register for the new surgery should contact the NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Service (Pals) on 0800 3896819, which will pass contact details on to the practice.
