West Cumbrians needing urgent and emergency NHS dental care now have access to a new Urgent Dental Access Centre in Whitehaven.

Urgent Dental Access Centres are a new model of urgent dental care so far only rolled out in Carlisle and Darlington. The new UDAC, based in Whitehaven, is the first in West Cumbria.

Whitehaven and Workington MP, Josh MacAlister said: “I made a commitment before the General Election to improve access to NHS dentistry in West Cumbria and this is me and the government delivering on that promise thanks to the decisions made in last year’s Budget.

“For too long local people have been left to suffer agonising tooth pain with little or no access to NHS treatment as fewer and fewer dentists took on NHS patients and urgent and emergency care struggled to cope.

“This investment begins to right that wrong.

“Now, working in partnership with our Integrated Care Board, who have been really responsive to local needs, west Cumbrians will be able to access this brand new provision, in addition to more appointments at existing practices.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do to rebuild NHS dentistry after the previous government let it go to ruin, but this is a really good first step for those in greatest need.”

The UDAC opened following months of campaigning by local MP Josh MacAlister for improvements to NHS dental access in West Cumbria.

In recent months Josh has met with the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), health ministers and raised the matter in Parliament to lobby for further investment in NHS dentistry in West Cumbria.

It forms part of the new government’s commitment to create 700,000 new urgent NHS dental appointments this year.

The UDAC is gradually building its service capacity, experience and new ways of operating.

When fully operational this summer, the UDAC will provide 140 urgent dental care appointments per week (7,280 per year) for people in West Cumbria.

In addition to the new UDAC, the ICB has commissioned a further 1,464 urgent NHS dental appointments from existing NHS practices in north and west Cumbria up to the end of September this year.

An additional 451 minor oral surgeries have also been funded this year for NHS patients in north and west Cumbria.

The Whitehaven UDAC operates Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm and is accessible via the North Cumbria Dental Direct Helpdesk on 01228 603900.

Anyone who has an urgent dental need outside of these times should contact NHS111.