Pair of new dentists' practices for Portsmouth revealed - as massive demand sparks 3,000 registration calls in five days
AFTER Portsmouth was labelled a ‘dentist desert’ last year, a firm is preparing to open two new dental practices focusing on NHS patients – sparking thousands of calls from residents looking to register.
Dental firm Dentistry For You, which has more than a dozen sites across the country, is working to open two new practices in Copnor Road and the retail park near Binnacle Way in April.
Portsmouth’s long-running dental woes has seen the city branded a 'dental care desert', with tales of families travelling as far as Watford for NHS treatment and one desperate builder yanking out two of his own teeth using pliers at home.
Now, the new Portsmouth practices have been inundated with calls from residents looking to register, according to dentist Dr Nadeem Harunani.
Speaking from the site of Binnacle Way practice and showing the firm's call logs, he said: ‘We had 2,934 calls in five days.
‘We have had 416 calls for the other practice.
‘The last practice we opened - in Norfolk - in the three months before we opened, we had 1,407 calls.
Group manager Liz Fernandez said she had been ‘thronged’ by people in the retail park as she was giving leaflets out about the new dental practices.
She said: ‘I was handing out leaflets and it was like I was a celebrity. I was thronged. People are happy to see us.’
Dr Haunani added: ‘We aim to start registering appointments before we open - we aim to do that in March.
‘People can contact Dentistry For You to register an interest in becoming a patient at one of the practices.’
The two sites will accommodate roughly five surgeries each, with ambitions to increase services based on demand.
While filing teeth may be the profession’s expertise, filing dentist roles has become a real challenge, thanks to a nationwide work-force crisis in the sector.
Dr Harunani said many of his peers had left NHS work to pursue potentially more lucrative private dental work, which can see dentists earn four times more than the same treatment through the NHS.
He said: ‘We are fighting a battle with that – every single county is facing this issue.
‘We are working tirelessly, 18 hours a day, flat out, reaching out, trying to secure dentists.
‘We do pay above the odds.’
Long bureaucratic processes around NHS contract awards also stifled supply, according to Dr Harunani, who said Dentistry For You had been awarded their NHS contracts for Portsmouth last July – six months after the application process started.
He added: ‘We are dedicated to the NHS. The NHS is doing what it can. The proof is in the pudding.
‘What we are very proud of is providing a purpose built practice from scratch.’
Portsmouth’s dentistry trouble started in the summer of 2019 when Colosseum pulled out of the city, closing three surgeries. While new dentist surgeries have since opened, the city is
The retail park practice will be see more than £300,000 of building work and equipment invested ready for its grand opening.
The Dentistry For You services will provide a full range of NHS treatments.
Anyone wishing to register their interest in becoming a patient can call the firm on 02381 980 077 or email [email protected]