A £15 million expansion to make University of Bristol Dental
Hospital among the most modern in the country has been
completed.
The hospital, which is run jointly by University Hospitals
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, has
been equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to improve its
already high standard of treatment, teaching and research.
The hospital also houses the Bristol Dental School and can now
accommodate 79 dental students each year, an increase of more than
50 per cent.
The expansion has provided them with the latest teaching aids,
including new prosthetics and enlarged clinical skills
laboratories, to enable them to hone their skills before they
progress to treating patients in the hospital's refurbished
clinics.
The library now has an expanded computer-aided learning suite
and improved facilities for study.
The reception areas of the hospital, which is based in Lower
Maudlin Street, have been refurbished and new 14-chair consulting
clinic added. Each chair is equipped with its own personal computer
to enable viewing of radiographs and laboratory results.
The hospital's number of dental chairs has been increased from
113 to 163 and two new decontamination suites have been installed.
An annexe has been added to the oral surgery department to provide
a dedicated staff treatment area and sedation suite.
An entire floor of 34 consulting areas is now dedicated to
children's dental health and wireless technology allows X-ray
images to be viewed electronically.
Adult restorative facilities are now provided in one enlarged
and refurbished area, with 64 dental units.
Jane Luker, lead doctor for dentistry, said: "The 18-month
refurbishment has been completed on time and on budget, despite the
difficulties posed by having to keep the hospital and school
functioning as normal during the expansion work.
"UH Bristol and Bristol University now has one of the most
up-to-date dental hospitals and schools in the UK.
"The refurbished public and patient areas provide a modern,
bright, pleasant and clean environment for our patients, their
carers and families."
For further information, contact Ian Probert at the University
Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust press office on
0117 342 3751 or email ian.probert@UHBristol.nhs.uk
Note to editors:
The University of Bristol Dental Hospital is one of eight city
centre hospitals managed by University Hospitals Bristol NHS
Foundation Trust. The others are the Bristol Royal Infirmary,
Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre,
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, St Michael's Hospital, the
Homeopathic Hospital and Bristol General Hospital.
Posted: 12/21/2007 10:15:10 by Kate Birch
