NEW BUILDING PURCHASED TO PROVIDE ONGOING COUNSELLING SERVICES AND DENTAL CARE FOR CANTABRIANS
Philip Bagshaw and Susan Gorrie
We are delighted and excited to announce that we have joined forces with the Canterbury Dental Association to offer free dental procedures to some members of the Canterbury community who would otherwise not be able to access treatment.
The move into dental services coincides with our inclusion of free counselling services and, in order to accommodate the two new services, the Trust has purchased the property adjacent to the Canterbury Charity Hospital at 349 Harewood Road. The 351 Harewood Road property requires some level of conversion to its new uses, and we are actively raising funds for this purpose.
In a strike of good fortune, 351 Harewood Road came onto the market at just the right time, as the premises at 349 Harewood Road are bursting at the seams. .jpg)
The two-storey building will provide space for three consulting rooms, waiting room, staff areas and a dental surgery. Plans have been drawn up free of charge by Skews Architects, who worked with us on the conversion of 349 Harewood Road, and Mainzeal Construction are once again doing a fantastic job as our construction team. The extra space will also give us the opportunity to branch into other medical areas down the track. It is a very exciting time for CCHT, as we continue to help those in our community who need medical and now dental care.
Dr Susan Gorrie, Immediate Past President of the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Dental Association, says local dentists are enthusiastic about offering their services to the Charity Hospital.
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“The public hospital’s dental department now offers only very limited dental services. There is a large gap in dental services that is not being filled. What was an 18-chair facility at Christchurch Public Hospital is now spread around the city and greatly reduced in number. We have conducted a survey among our members and the early indication is that we will be able to provide dental services at the Canterbury Charity Hospital three days a week,” explains Dr Gorrie.
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Over the coming months, the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Dental Association will work with CCHT to establish what procedures will be offered, but these are likely to include extractions, root fillings on front teeth and routine restorative work, such as fillings. “A lot of people simply can’t afford dental treatment. We hope to offer patients one course of treatment to make them dentally fit,” says Dr Gorrie.
As soon as the dental services we will be offering and the referral system is finalised, we will post this information on this website, so keep an eye on the website for this information over the coming months.
