Dental services in Uist may be centralised and shifted to the Balivanich hospital, under health board plans.
The proposal is to relocate dentists from locations in Lochmaddy, Liniclate and Lochboisdale to Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh.
This would reduce professional isolation, improve recruitment and retention, reduce multiple running costs and the costs of instruments, and provide enhanced opportunities for staff development and training, says Western Isles NHS.
Plan to shift dental clinics
3 December 2014
If the practices stayed where they are, the different dental clinics would require renovation works to being them up to modern standards.
Lochboisdale Dental Clinic, in particular, requires significant upgrades, according to the health board.
A spokesperson said: “All current clinics offer little scope for any increase in size of clinical accommodation to meet standards.
“Centralising the service in OUaB would enable NHS Western Isles to provide high quality services from one location, with scope for future improvements.”