Discussions are underway to explore plans to open a new NHS dental practice in Callander after the town’s existing practice stopped offering NHS services for patients aged over 18.
In November last year, we told how the Infinity Blu Dental Care and Implant Clinic, in Main Street, wrote to patients informing them of the plans to move to a private service from February.
Callander Community Council then began exploring a number of options to maintain NHS dentistry in the town.
This week NHS Forth Valley said that discussions have begun to explore the development of a new NHS dental practice in Callander to support local NHS patients from the town and the surrounding areas.
Infinity Blu Dental Care and Implant Clinic is continuing to provide NHS dental treatment for children aged under 18 and the health board says it is working closely with the clinic to support these services into the future.
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NHS Forth Valley is also in discussions with a group of Forth Valley dental practitioners who are interested in setting up a new NHS dental practice in the Callander area.
While these discussions are at an early stage, NHS Forth Valley says that the progress to date has been “very positive”.
The group is working with local NHS staff to explore the viability of the project in partnership with colleagues from Callander Medical Centre, which could be a potential location for the new NHS dental practice.
Jennifer Rodgers, NHS Forth Valley’s Director of Dentistry, said: “Over the last few months we have been working closely with a group of local dentists who are interested in developing a new NHS dental practice in the Callander area.
“Discussions so far have been very positive, and we hope to be in a position to give a further update on the potential development of a new dental practice in the coming weeks as plans progress.
“In the meantime, any unregistered patients can access emergency dental care by contacting NHS Forth Valley’s Public Dental Service Dental Advice Line.”
In November last year, the Infinity Blu Dental Care and Implant Clinic wrote to patients, saying that delivering NHS treatment was “becoming increasingly difficult” under the service’s regulations and that it was to stop offering NHS treatment to patients aged over 18 from February 1.
In a statement to the Observer at that time, a spokesperson for Infinity Blu Dental Care and Implant Clinic in the town said the move had been a “very difficult decision”, adding: “Due to continuing pressures of the NHS, our dentists at our Callander practice have collectively made the very difficult decision to cease seeing their adult patients after the three months’ notice period.
“It was simply not sustainable for them to continue under the terms and conditions of the NHS. Infinity Blu and Chris Barrowman (principal dentist) have stood by that decision.”
Patients were given the choice to remain with the practice as private patients who pay for their treatment.
Callander Community Council have drafted a number of proposals as it seeks to come up with a plan to maintain NHS dental services.
Community councillor Ray Watkins is a former dentist who previously worked as Chief Dental Officer for NHS Forth Valley and then for NHS Scotland.
At the November monthly meeting of the community council, Mr Watkins suggested that a dental practice could be set up in the town as a social enterprise and he said he would look at a number of potential venues in the town.
Mr Watkins also set up petitions, both paper copies and online versions to gauge support for a new dental practice.
Last month, we told how the community council’s petitions had been backed by more than 2000 locals.
