£11m extra dental cash makes health chiefs smile

HEALTH chiefs have welcomed additional funding for dental services in the Lothians.

NHS Lothian is to receive more than £11 million from the Scottish Government over two years, as its share of a package totalling £75m.

Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health and health policy at NHS Lothian, said: "We welcome this additional funding to improve our dental services.

"The funding will enable NHS Lothian to put general practitioners into more suitable premises, providing state-of-the-art decontamination units."

She added: "Over the next two years we hope this funding will widen patient access to general dental practitioners and to the specialist dental services currently provided by NHS Lothian."