THE WESTERN Isles Integration Joint Board (IJB), which is responsible for the planning of a range of health and social care services, is hosting three public engagement events this month as part of a consultation on how the new model for dental care will be provided in the Uists.
There has already been engagement with staff, stakeholders and community representatives to discuss proposed changes, and following a detailed options appraisal process, the IJB deciding that its preferred model for the delivery of dental care in the Uists is to have a single service operating from a renovated Uist and Barra Hospital.
This will involve the closure of the existing clinics in Lochmaddy and Liniclate (the clinic in Lochboisdale has already closed due to concerns about the building) and relocating all dental staff into a central hub within Uist and Barra Hospital.