Many Harefield residents will be delighted at the opening of an NHS dentist in the village after five years with only private dental care.
The Village Dental Practice in Harefield High Street was officially opened as an NHS dentist on Friday (October 14).
An NHS-run dentist service for the village closed its doors for good in 2011 , leaving patients the choice of two private surgeries in Harefield or having to travel further afield.
Beverley Meier, who lives in Harefield, registered at the dentist on Friday to replace her usual surgery in Eastcote.
'It's really good to see something on the High Street'
She said: “It's nice to have something local. I'm a firm believer in using local services.
“There's not been an NHS dentist in Harefield for as long as I've lived here. It's really good to see something on the High Street.”
The Village Dental Practice has been open for around two weeks but held its grand opening on Friday, attended by dentists, managers, NHS bosses and the Mayor of Hillingdon .
'Residents travel quite far to see an NHS dentist'
Dentist at the practice, Dr Iffah Zaman, said: “I think it's really important because the residents that live here travel quite far to see an NHS dentist.
“It's been really busy so far.
“There are a lot of older people here and it may be harder for them to travel.”
Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor John Hensley, said: "We desperately do need a dentist to meet the needs of our community.
"This practice goes toward meeting the shortage of dentists we have in the area."
The practice is still accepting registrations and you can find out more by visiting the website here .
