New local Dental Practise to open soon

St Ann’s will have a new Dental Practise after the City Council agreed on January 8th to grant conditional planning permission to Dr Mustafa Najat of West Bridgford to turn existing shop units at 185-191 Huntingdon Street into a new surgery.

In his supporting letter to planners Dr Najat said “I think the location of the site for our future plans has been well chosen. The area is in a very busy part of the city and has always been used for commercial purposes.

“The ground floor suitability for a dental surgery comes from the fact that as a big open space, two dental surgeries can be created as well as a reception and waiting room in one area of the ground floor and the property is easily accessible from town and the surrounding area.”

St Ann’s has been without a Dentist for the last decade after a dental practise in Westgate Street closed and transferred to Sneinton Dale.

In November 2009 St Ann’s campaigner Gissela Sabarasua shown here with Richard Pearson & Peter Forry, organised a petition and gathered more than 450 signatures in less than two weeks.

Gisella said today “I am very pleased that at long last St Ann’s will again have a Dentist to treat local people, this is excellent news.

"I was knocking on doors and stopping everybody and there's not one person who has said I don't agree with the petition.”

"Speaking to the people who have signed it, I would say 90% have said if we get a dentist here I'm coming back to St Ann's [for treatment].

"I was born in the old St Ann's and they are doing what they did when they destroyed the old St Ann's. They are doing what they want and they are trying to give us the impression they are consulting us."

Local residents were hopeful that a dentist would be included in the new St Ann’s Valley Centre which opened in May last year, but it was not to be.

A spokesperson for NHS Nottingham City said it was looking at other ways to provide dental services in St Ann's, including a mobile unit.

He said: "While we recognise the importance of dental services in healthcare provision, St Ann's does not have a large enough population to support a dental practice within the new centre. There are a number of dental practices close to St Ann's.”