People in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk will find it easier to access a dentist following NHS East of England’s announcement that it has successfully completed a procurement process and awarded two new dental contracts for King’s Lynn to Smile Care Norfolk Limited.
The award of the two contracts follows a procurement process to increase dental provision in King’s Lynn and in other parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. Two of the lots in the procurement exercise were for King’s Lynn and this will see services delivered at premises accessible to serve the main population densities and located near good public transport links and road networks.
These contracts will commence by 1 July 2022 which will significantly increase access to local dentist provision. These dental services will provide new services for adults and children, operating from 8am-8pm, 7 days a week for routine treatment, as well as urgent appointments.
Commenting on the announcement James said:
“Improving access to dentists in West Norfolk is an issue I have been campaigning for over the last two years. In my regular meetings with the NHS I have repeatedly pressed then to increase provision. So I am delighted that the procurement process has been successful and King’s Lynn will have new dentists offering many more appointments for local people.”
Both the lots are for nearly 22,000 Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) a year. UDAs are a measure of the amount of work done during dental treatment. More complex dental treatments count for more UDAs than simpler ones. For example, an examination is 1 UDA, fillings are 3 UDAs, and dentures are 12 UDAs.
NHS East of England announcement:
Commissioning future dentistry services in Norfolk and Suffolk
NHS England and NHS Improvement – East of England, has completed a procurement process aimed at providing access to 8am-8pm dental services across Norfolk and Suffolk, 365 days a year, including all Bank Holidays.
Through an open procurement process, seven contracts (Lots) were advertised for potential providers to apply for. As a result, the following contracts have been awarded to the named providers below:
- Lot 1, King’s Lynn, Norfolk – Smile Care Norfolk Limited
- Lot 2, King’s Lynn, Norfolk – Smile Care Norfolk Limited
- Lot 3, Norwich, Norfolk – Smile Care Norfolk Limited
- Lot 6, Lowestoft, Suffolk – Apps Smiles Limited
These contracts will commence by 1 July 2022 which will significantly increase access to local dentist provision across a number of communities. Commissioners are working with the providers of the awarded contracts to mobilise services by 1 July 2022 to ensure patients can access new services as soon as possible.
