Hundreds of people call for NHS dentist to stay open

MORE THAN 500 people have signed a petition to save a dental surgery on the outskirts of a Yorkshire city from closure.

Jordanthorpe Dental Clinic, which is based on the edge of Sheffield, has provided general and specialist services for many years, but NHS England, which is responsible for commissioning dental care, is no longer supporting the facility.

Patients have been informed it is due to close at the end of March and those currently receiving general dental care have been advised to find alternative NHS provision.

The Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley, Louise Haigh, is fighting to save the dental practice and launched the petition.

She claimed that patients cannot move to another local NHS dentist as there are so few spaces available, and travelling to alternative services outside of Jordanthorpe would be a severe challenge for residents with limited mobility or who rely on public transport.

Ms Haigh has written to NHS England to ask that the decision to close the clinic be reversed and is currently awaiting a reply.

She said: “Everyone should be able to access convenient NHS dental care in their community.

“Jordanthorpe Dental Clinic has been providing a really important service that local people have come to rely on and it shouldn’t now be taken away.

“I look forward to receiving a reply from the NHS and, in the meantime, will continue to fight for the clinic’s future.”

David Turton, a patient at the clinic, added: “The clinic is embedded in our community and the staff are excellent.

“Closing it would be catastrophic and result in a lot of people being unable to access treatment.”