Blackburn Dental Centre

NHS Lothian is seeking expressions of interest from any parties interested in leasing the space for dental premises in Blackburn Partnership Centre, West Lothian. Blackburn is situated in the centre of West Lothian close to the main towns of Livingston and Bathgate. It is approximately 20 miles west of Edinburgh and 25 miles east of Glasgow with easy access via the M8 motorway. The Blackburn Partnership Centre serves a geographical area that includes both Blackburn and Seafield with a combined population of around 8,000. Both areas have growing populations and areas of deprivation. There are some complex issues associated with this high level of deprivation including low education and employment levels, poor health and life expectancy. However, Blackburn also has a strong community base, with many active volunteer-led decision-making bodies and recreational groups operating from the Partnership Centre. The medical practice within the Blackburn Partnership Centre currently has c7800 registered patients and the catchment area for a dental practice, over and above Blackburn itself, has the potential to include Seafield, East Whitburn and Wester Inch. Oral health is integral to general health and the inclusion of a dental unit in the Partnership Centre will offer accessible dental services through the provision of general dental services for the Blackburn community. There are 28 dental practices in West Lothian and two practices providing orthodontics. At the time of advertising 18 general dental practices are accepting new NHS patients. The nearest dental practices to Blackburn currently registering new NHS patients are situated in Bathgate (4), Armadale (2), East Calder (1) and Livingston (7), West Calder (1), Whitburn (1), Broxburn (1) and Linlithgow (1). In West Lothian the Public Dental Service covers unscheduled care out of hours, special care and paediatrics from Howden Health Centre and St John’s Hospital. NHS Lothian wishes to select a general dental practitioner partner to lease this space with the capacity and capability to meet the needs of patients by delivering high quality, patient-centred clinical services in a primary care setting, in accordance with the requirements below. It will be important the Applicants involved in the planning and/or delivery of existing services can demonstrate that they have sufficient capacity so as not to prejudice delivery of general dental services under any other contract an Applicant may have with NHS Lothian or another Health Board or the ability of NHS Lothian itself to deliver services. The successful Applicant will be required to enter into a lease with NHS Lothian for the premises at Blackburn Partnership Centre and for any dentists to be able to successfully apply for admission to NHS Lothian’s dental list in respect of that address. The National Health Service (General Dental Services)(Scotland) Regulations including the Terms of Service For Dentists are available at The National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (legislation.gov.uk)