NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has awarded two new NHS dental contracts for Bridlington, which will double NHS dental capacity in the town.
Whitecross Dental Care and Genix Healthcare have been awarded five-year contracts to establish and run new services. Together, the contracts represent an investment of more than £6m.
Mydentist – which runs Bridlington’s only existing NHS dental practice in Quay Road – is the trading name of Whitecross Dental Care.
The new contract represents additional NHS dental capacity for the town, which will be delivered alongside its existing services.
Genix Healthcare will deliver the services from Bridlington Town Centre.
The ICB is continuing to work with both providers on mobilisation plans, with further details to be announced in due course.
Debbie Leadbetter, the ICB’s dental and optometry lead, said: “We know how difficult it has been for people in Bridlington to access NHS dental care and we are very aware of the town’s reputation as a ‘dental desert’.
“This investment is a real game changer. It creates the opportunity to turn that situation around and means that many more people should be able to access the NHS dental care they need.”
Simon Cox, the ICB’s East Riding place director, added: “This is very welcome news for Bridlington.
“Doubling NHS dental capacity is a significant step forward and we will continue to work closely with providers, partners and local representatives to make sure residents are kept informed as these services are brought forward.”
Dental contracts are commissioned using units of dental activity (UDAs), which reflect the amount and complexity of NHS dental care delivered rather than a fixed number of patients. For example, a simple check-up equates to one UDA, while more-complex treatments such as crowns or bridges equate to 12 UDAs.
Each of the new Bridlington contracts is worth 15,598 UDAs.