New dental practice taking on 6,000 NHS patients

Dr Anushika Brogan has been awarded a NHS contract for her practice in Hove

A new dental practice is opening in East Sussex and will take on more than 6,000 NHS patients.

Damira Dental, which runs 33 practices across the south of England, will launch its first in Sussex, at The Tate Offices, Hove, in August.

Managing director Anushika Brogan said it is “hugely important” that dentists continue to offer NHS services to patients who cannot afford private services.

A total of 25 Sussex NHS dental contracts have been handed back to the government since 2020, with some dentists claiming the conditions are “terrible”.

The government said it invests £3bn a year in delivering dentistry.

Dr Brogan said: “A lot of practices handed them back because they couldn’t make it work, so the government brought us in to consolidate the service.

“[NHS dentists are] hugely important. It’s a service that patients have relied on for years and years. I can understand why some can’t make it work.

“We’ve got a programme where dentists are training with us so they’ll be ready for when the practice in Hove opens.”

Hundreds of people have registered for the new practice, despite little to no advertisement for the service, she said, adding there was potential scope for opening further sites in Sussex.