Plans for a new dental practice on the first floor of Shanklin Conservative Club have been pulled, according to the manager of the club, citing recent changes in personal health circumstances and also the ongoing difficulties of NHS dental practice as reasons for the withdrawal.
The proposed new dental surgery is said to have been run by Dentalwell LTD, who provide corporate healthcare for the NHS after securing a £6.8 million NHS contract in February of this year.
The contract was awarded to the Hertfordshire-based company on 24th February earlier this year to deliver much-needed Mandatory Dental Services (MDS) across the Isle of Wight. It has been said that Dentalwell have been recruiting and employing staff to support its Island-based operations, which include positions based in Shanklin.
However, after being contacted by a concerned local who was looking forward to having better access to dental care, Island Echo can exclusively reveal that the plans to transform the first floor of the Conservative Club have been cancelled.
As previously reported by Island Echo in May of this year, the plans to turn the first floor of Shanklin Conservative Club into a ‘much sought-after’ NHS dental practice were given the green light.
James Kingham submitted the plans to convert the ‘underutilised’ space above the private members’ bar on Palmerston Road, Shanklin, into a 6-surgery facility, with the ability to cater to around 80 patients a day.
At the time, project agent Nova Architectural told the council the proposal would provide a ‘much sought-after’ facility.
Its support statement said:
“Availability of NHS dentistry on the Isle of Wight has been in a steady decline, with many reports on news sites and community pages that there is a shortage of dentists on the Island, with many reporting that they are unable to gain appointments within their local community.
“The proposal will provide a much sought-after and needed facility which will have many overarching benefits not only to the wider community of Shanklin, but also to the local economy.”
The contract set out to cover essential general dental treatments such as routine check-ups as well as urgent care access with the intention of addressing the severe local shortages in NHS dentist availability that Island residents face.
James Hilson, manager of Shanklin Conservative Club, has told Island Echo that the news was also disappointing for the club, particularly given that much had been done to assist the prospective tenant, and we were only days away from signing the lease.
However, it is confirmed that Dentalwell have made the decision to hand back the NHS dental contract, with James telling Island Echo he was told of changes in personal health circumstances and the ongoing difficulties of NHS dental practice.
Coming as an understandably disappointing let-down for club members and for the wider Bay area community due to knowing how many people welcomed the plans to bring an NHS dentist to Shanklin, James said the club had done all they could to facilitate it.
He said:
“We were advised earlier in the summer by our estate agent that the prospective tenant, Dentalwell Ltd, who were to lease the first-floor area of Shanklin Conservative Club, had decided to hand back the NHS dental contract awarded to them.
“This was also disappointing news for the club, particularly given that much had been done to assist the prospective tenant, and we were only days away from signing the lease.”
With no news on which provider will replace Dentalwell, which was awarded £6,813,063 by the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board to provide services on the Island, Shanklin residents continue to face uncertainty over access to dental care.
