Tuesday 05 Aug 2008 @ 16:47
Scottish Government
Scottish Government
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£75 million investment in the health service
Improving dental facilities across Scotland will be a top priority for health boards allocated £75 million of capital funding today.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the huge investment in primary care facilities and upgrades would help modernise healthcare services and give Scotland "a dental service to be proud of".
The funding - split £35 million for 2009-10 and £40 million for 2010-11 - represents an increase of more than 17 percent over the two years on 2008-9's baseline target funding of £32 million.
Priorities for this funding programme include:
* New dental centres for independent general dental practitioners (GDPs) working in the NHS
* Upgrading of decontamination facilities in GDP premises
* Community health centre projects and other new GP and community facilities, particularly in rural and remote areas
* Renovations and reconfigurations of existing health centres
* Teaching and training facilities for all primary care professionals, including outreach services, for the training of dental undergraduates
Ms Sturgeon said:
"This substantial investment will allow health boards to put in place a range of new and improved health facilities to serve people in communities right across Scotland.
"Above all, it shows that this Government is strongly committed to improving dental services, particularly in areas where registration rates are currently unacceptably low.
"Too many people in Scotland still don't have access to an NHS dentist and we are determined to reverse the years of neglect and bring NHS dentistry within reach of those who currently don't have access.
"Already, we have seen the green shoots of recovery, with more registrations of adults and children across Scotland. We will build on recent increases in the number of dentists working in the NHS with a new £21 million dental school in Aberdeen due to start training dentists in October.
"I look forward to seeing the detailed proposals that come forward from health boards as we take the firm action needed to give Scotland a dental service to be proud of."
Statistics released last week showed that at March 31 this year, the percentage of children registered with an NHS dentist had risen 6.6 per cent in a year to 73.8 per cent, while adult registrations had risen 6.9 per cent to 53.1 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of high street dentists in Scotland increased by 102 to 2,576.
Following today's funding announcement, NHS boards across Scotland will now prepare detailed proposals on how they wish to spend their allocations, for ministerial approval. Plans must be submitted early in October.
A total of £167 million has already been allocated to Boards for Primary & Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme (PCCPMP) projects over the period 1999-2008.
The £75 million has been allocated as follows, click here to view table.
Related Information
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the huge investment in primary care facilities and upgrades would help modernise healthcare services and give Scotland "a dental service to be proud of".
The funding - split £35 million for 2009-10 and £40 million for 2010-11 - represents an increase of more than 17 percent over the two years on 2008-9's baseline target funding of £32 million.
Priorities for this funding programme include:
* New dental centres for independent general dental practitioners (GDPs) working in the NHS
* Upgrading of decontamination facilities in GDP premises
* Community health centre projects and other new GP and community facilities, particularly in rural and remote areas
* Renovations and reconfigurations of existing health centres
* Teaching and training facilities for all primary care professionals, including outreach services, for the training of dental undergraduates
Ms Sturgeon said:
"This substantial investment will allow health boards to put in place a range of new and improved health facilities to serve people in communities right across Scotland.
"Above all, it shows that this Government is strongly committed to improving dental services, particularly in areas where registration rates are currently unacceptably low.
"Too many people in Scotland still don't have access to an NHS dentist and we are determined to reverse the years of neglect and bring NHS dentistry within reach of those who currently don't have access.
"Already, we have seen the green shoots of recovery, with more registrations of adults and children across Scotland. We will build on recent increases in the number of dentists working in the NHS with a new £21 million dental school in Aberdeen due to start training dentists in October.
"I look forward to seeing the detailed proposals that come forward from health boards as we take the firm action needed to give Scotland a dental service to be proud of."
Statistics released last week showed that at March 31 this year, the percentage of children registered with an NHS dentist had risen 6.6 per cent in a year to 73.8 per cent, while adult registrations had risen 6.9 per cent to 53.1 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of high street dentists in Scotland increased by 102 to 2,576.
Following today's funding announcement, NHS boards across Scotland will now prepare detailed proposals on how they wish to spend their allocations, for ministerial approval. Plans must be submitted early in October.
A total of £167 million has already been allocated to Boards for Primary & Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme (PCCPMP) projects over the period 1999-2008.
The £75 million has been allocated as follows, click here to view table.
Related Information
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/dentistry
