Dentists

Over 500,000 people in Wales are set to benefit from the Personal Dental Services

Scheme (PDS) Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons announced when he visited a
dental practice in Tonypandy signed up to the scheme recently.

During a visit to Griffiths Jones & Associates Dental Practice Dr Gibbons
heard how 1,457 extra NHS places had been created in Tonypandy thanks to a
PDS scheme.

Dr Gibbons said: "Since I announced £5m last April to pilot PDS schemes in
Wales 122 PDS applications have now been approved in Wales. These have
varied from single handed to large multi-handed practices located in both
rural and urban settings. Thanks to these applications being agreed NHS
dental treatment has been secured for 506,587 existing dental patients and
an extra 148,597 NHS places have been created. This is excellent news for
people across Wales.

"I am more than aware of the difficulties people have faced in Wales trying
to access NHS dental care but we are starting to turn the corner. Over the
coming months patients will see the benefits of the new PDS schemes as they
are able to register with the dental practices who have created the new
extra places.

"The dental practice I visited today is a vital asset for Tonypandy and the
surrounding area, however I want people throughout Wales to be able to
access a modernised NHS dental service regardless of where they live.

"I believe that the additional resources and proposed changes we are putting
in place makes clear the Assembly Government's commitment to NHS dentistry
and to a modern and responsive dental service across the whole of Wales."

I was pleased to welcome Brian back to the Rhondda. It is good to see that patients in the
Rhondda have access to NHS dental places in modern comfortable facilities
like these in Tonypandy. This is an excellent scheme supported by
investment from Labour's Welsh Assembly Government.

In the photograph Brian and I are joined by local dentists
Alan Griffiths and David Islwyn Jones.

Mr Jones, a partner at the practice said, 'We have been here for 30 years
and are very committed to the NHS but the problem with the older system was
that it was a bit of a treadmill and there was no security because we
couldn't plan far ahead.

'If the NHS had stayed as it was we would have had to seriously consider
pulling out of the NHS, despite our commitment to it.

'PDS has given us far more time with patients, a secure income and the
ability to plan ahead as to which way the business goes.'