Thousands support campaign for a dentist in St Ann's

A PETITION calling for a dental practice in St Ann's has gathered almost 10,000 signatures in one month.

NHS Nottingham City had said the area did not have a large enough population to support a dentist within a Joint Service Centre being built off St Ann's Well Road.

But Gisella Sobarasua, the St Ann's resident who has been gathering the petition, said she already knew of 14,000 people who would use the dental practice, if partners and children of those on the petition were included.

Ms Sobarasua said: "At the end of the day, we want a dentist in St Ann's and we can't understand why there is so much opposition to having one inside the centre."

At a public meeting this week, representatives of Nottingham City Council and NHS Nottingham City said the timetable for building the centre was too short to include a dental practice.

If space was left for one, it might not be appropriate to the needs of a dentist. Instead, the meeting heard, a dentist might be able to move into a shop unit being created as part of the redevelopment of Robin Hood Chase.

But Ms Sobarasua said: "They say if they leave a space for one in the centre, it might not fit the needs. But the same could be said of any unit that the dentist might move into."

The meeting heard that new dental practices were to be created in Bulwell and Bilborough.

Emma Dewinton, a councillor for the Mapperley ward, which includes parts of St Ann's, is writing to NHS Nottingham City. She said: "I'm making representations on behalf of residents in the estates at the higher end of The Wells Road. They want dentistry available to access on foot or by a direct bus route. We need something, whether it's our end, or Robin Hood Chase."

Coun Dewinton said that, at a meeting to review dentistry services, the main point residents made was that it was very difficult for them to get to a dentist if they were on low income.

"People have the choice of getting two buses, in and out of town, or walking up a hill, which is difficult if you've got a young family or are pushing a buggy. The problem we have is with having a poor rate of cavities, particularly for children, particularly in our deprived areas. We need this addressing with provision of dentistry that's easily accessible."

A spokesman for NHS Nottingham City said: "We understand local people feel that a dental service in the new development would benefit the area. Unfortunately, we don't have unlimited funds and so we have to make difficult decisions based on priority.

"We've looked at need in all parts of the city and have found that patients in the Bilborough and Bulwell areas of the city were having to travel furthest to access a dentist. We are looking at ways to redistribute existing funding to ensure that we are able to extend access to dentistry in St Ann's in the future. There are a number of existing dental practices very close to St Ann's and on good public transport routes."

caroline.lowbridge@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk