The Government has announced £50million of additional funding for a rapid programme to tackle some of the backlogs in dentistry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the scheme, extra appointments will be offered including outside of normal hours to treat people in the early morning, evening, and at weekends.
Funding will secure up to 350,000 additional dental appointments allowing people suffering from oral pain, disease, and infection to get the care they need, as services drive back to pre-pandemic levels.
Children, people with learning disabilities, autism, or severe mental health problems, will be prioritised as part of a dentistry treatment push over the coming months, with the one-off funding available until the end of the financial year.
Locally, NHS teams will use the funds to secure increased care capacity amongst local dentists already operating to help patients suffering from oral ill-health.
Scott Mann MP commented on the news, saying:
"I am very pleased to see that the Government has allocated an additional £50m in funding for dentistry. This package will help NHS dentistry catch up on the backlogs created by the pandemic and I look forward to seeing North Cornwall get its fair share.
"Access to NHS dentistry in the area has been a historical issue and one which I committed to working hard to solve. This is another step in my mission to deliver a better dentistry offer for my constituents."
