The Frithmoor Community Centre was opened by the NHS in June 2024. It followed the release of ‘The Northern Echo manifesto,’ which called on politicians to create a plan to save dentistry in the North East.
Peter Gibson, standing to be re-elected as Darlington’s MP, told The Northern Echo that his office had received inquiries from over 200 residents about issues accessing NHS dental care.
Speaking at the launch, Peter said, “I can tell you this is a fantastic day after a tireless campaign battling with the bureaucracy of the NHS commissioners in the North East we are finally there and the urgent dental treatment centre here is opening.
"Now this has been a Battle Royal with the NHS to get them to provide the long-awaited provisions that we needed is we Darlington, following the surgery that was at this site that closed over a year ago.
"This emergency dental treatment centre will be able to provide here in Darlington, for Darlington residents, that urgent treatment that presently people have to travel all the way to Durham to get.
"It's also part of a longer-term plan that the NHS are commissioning additional dental provision here in Darlington, so there’s a procurement exercise ongoing to provide additional facilities here in the Eastbourne ward."
"Now please don’t always start at once because this urgent treatment centre is available presently only by accessing NHS dentistry through the 111 service.
"Two full-time dentists are working on this site and are available to provide to Darlington residents the urgent treatment that they need."