CONCERNS have been raised by residents after the provider of emergency dentist services in Warrington changed making it harder for people to get an appointment in the town.

The service, which is commissioned by NHS England, used to be provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust until April 1 when it was taken over by Revive Dental Care.

But the change has seemingly made it more difficult for residents to see an emergency dentist in the town if they are calling after 5pm as they will either be offered an appointment at a St Helens surgery or on in Warrington for the next day.

Glenn Coleman, head of Primary Care for NHS England – The North (Cheshire and Merseyside), said: “From the April 1, NHS England has commissioned in-hours urgent dental care services (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) from four dental practices across Warrington and an out-of-hours dental clinic that is available in Warrington every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday from 9am to 4pm."

He continued that in order to access the service patients can contact the new provider of a dental helpline and triage service, Revive Dental Care, by calling 0161 476 9651.

He said: "While this service operates from Manchester landline number, if urgent dental care is required, patients will be given an appointment at a Warrington-based clinic.

"All patients that call the dental helpline will be appropriately triaged according to their clinical need and will be offered an appointment at one of these clinics if required.

“If a patient living in Warrington calls the dental helpline out-of-hours (after 5pm) between Monday and Friday and requires an appointment at a dental clinic, the patient would be given the choice to either travel to their nearest out-of-hours clinic, which is located in St Helens, or wait for an appointment the following day at a local practice in Warrington.

"In the event a call handler considered that the patient’s condition to be an emergency rather than requiring urgent care, the patient would be directed to their local A&E department immediately.

“If any patients have concerns about the changes urgent dental care services they are urged to contact NHS England on 0113 824 8268 to share their experiences.

"NHS England is committed to ensuring that patients have access to local, high-quality dental services.”