Five-Surgery Dental Practice To Open On Island High Street

A new five-surgery dental practice providing access to NHS dental services for up to ‘7,000 patients’ will open on the Isle of Wight.

County Hall has granted the Harunani & Co Group of Dentists planning consent to convert the ground floor of 51 and 52 High Street in Ryde into an NHS clinic, employing five dentists, five dental nurses, two reception staff and one manager.

Earlier this year, the council also accepted plans for a ten-surgery practice at 7 – 8 High Street from another provider, Damira Dental.

Harunani & Co’s approved proposal 25/00741/FUL includes a change of use of the first and

second floors of no. 52, forming part of the practice.

The upper floors of the two three storey properties currently house two duplex flats, with their joined, vacant ground floor previously home to a massage parlour and wellbeing clinic.

A statement submitted by the Andrew White Planning Consultancy on behalf of the applicant said:

“This is an application for a new and much-needed NHS dental practice and is in response to a contract awarded to the Harunani Group of Dental Surgeries through procurement commissioned by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) in response to a lack of NHS dental provision on the Isle of Wight.

“The Harunani Group has bid for similar NHS procurements nationwide and has successfully set up 18 dental practices in areas of deprivation and need.”

Planners’ decision report said:

“The provision of NHS dentistry on the Island is poor and the application seeks to meet some of the unmet need using additional financial support provided by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS.

“The proposed improvement to the public service infrastructure of the Island is welcomed in principle, as is the additional jobs and the location, which would help to support the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“The improvements to public service infrastructure would be significant with up to 7000 patients able to access NHS dentistry, reducing inequality and ill health.”