Specialist children's dental service under threat

Specialist dental services at a Surrey hospital are under threat, the BBC has learnt.

East Surrey Hospital in Redhill currently provides a range of specialist dental services including the treatment of children with special needs and patients with complex dental disease.

Staff in the department have been told the trust is considering three options for the service including closure.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) said it had "no plans to stop the services we are currently providing at East Surrey Hospital".

According to its website SASH offers "the dental management of children with severe learning or physical disability, complex medical histories, extensive dental decay, complex dental trauma and significant dental phobia".

The BBC understands the options being considered by the trust include relocating dental services on the site of the hospital in Redhill, moving them off site or decommissioning the service.

Chris Coghlan, the Liberal Democrat MP for Dorking and Horley, said the news was "really concerning".

"Local services in Surrey continue to fail those with special educational needs and disabilities, and the potential closure of specialist dental services in East Surrey Hospital will be yet another example of this," he added.

A spokesperson for SASH said: "Delivering planned and urgent dental care to the local community is an important part of our role as an acute care provider, and we have no plans to stop the services we are currently providing at East Surrey Hospital."

The trust's dental services provide specialist training for a range of health professionals, including senior registrars in conjunction with Health Education England (HEE).

Its training programme covers undergraduate and postgraduate doctors and through HEE it works "across Kent, Surrey and Sussex and medical schools".

Staff who spoke to the BBC said Surrey Fire & Rescue Service had concerns about the safety of the buildings currently used by the hospital's dental services.

In response the BBC has been told that while there are "fire safety concerns" the buildings are compliant with any prohibition and enforcement notices issued by the fire service.

The trust's statement added that "given the service's current location isn't fit for purpose long-term, we are exploring options within the Trust for a more permanent location to ensure we can provide the best possible service for those who need it".

The BBC understands that the trust is not considering any redundancies for this service.

The British Dental Association's Peter Dyer said the dental and maxillofacial department at East Surrey Hospital provided "an incredibly important service for the local community, managing as it does, both planned and urgent care for patients".

"These services must be maintained," he added. "The safety of patients and staff is of paramount importance and any relocation of the department due to concerns about the buildings in which the services take place must be done with full discussion with the clinicians involved."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.