Last remaining A&E-style dental surgery in London is to close

The last remaining specialist A&E-style dental surgery in London is to be closed down in just over two months, NHS England has revealed.

The community based dental service in Kentish Town will close from March 31 and will leave Londoners with only two hospitals to go to for emergency dental treatment, critics of the plan have said.

Over 5,000 people used the service in north London last year but patients are now being urged to call the NHS 111 helpline or seek an appointment with their regular dentist instead.

From April, Londoners needing urgent dental care will have to travel to visit specialist clinics at King’s College Hospital and Guy’s Hospital, both in south London.

An NHS England spokeswoman told the Observer: “We recently reviewed the service and found that there is sufficient capacity for patients who need urgent dental care at existing dental practices and so the closure of the service would not negatively impact patients in the area.

“There are more than 1,250 high-street dentists across London where patients can access dental care when they need it. Londoners in need of urgent dental care should call NHS111, who can then signpost them to the most appropriate service for their treatment.”