A new dental suite designed for people with special needs with input from an ‘expert-by-experience’ has opened at Cheshunt Community Hospital in Hertfordshire.
A former minor surgery wing at Cheshunt Community Hospital has been refurbished and purpose-designed by main contractor, Carmlecrest, to create a modern dental suite to treat Hertfordshire residents with special needs ranging from physical and learning disabilities to medical conditions.
Comprising three modern surgery areas, the clinic replaces the former site in nearby Hoddesdon, which had two surgeries. The dental suite benefits from additional accessibility, with wheelchair and step-free access, and larger dental chairs to allow easier access for those with special needs. A new Sensory Room to help patients relax features a film wall with high-definition projection, bubble tubes, and tranquil lighting and sound systems.
Ingleton Wood, a Billericay-based property and construction consultancy, provided multidisciplinary services for the entire project, including architecture, project management, quantity surveying, and mechanical and electrical consultancy. Partner, Chris Mabbutt, said: “We were pleased to project manage this important community development which was delivered brilliantly by everyone despite the unique challenges of working in a busy healthcare environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dental clinic also boasts improved ventilation systems with large-scale air handling units installed to provide high standards of indoor air quality.
Una Monaghan, Clinical director of Special Care Dental Service at Hertfordshire Community Trust, said: “We are so pleased with our wonderful new clinic, and have had a lot of very positive comments from our patients. The Sensory Room is proving extremely popular with many adults and children, who find it helps them cope better with their dental treatment. The clinics were designed with support from an expert-by-experience from the learning disability community.”
Hertfordshire Special Care Dental Service is an award-winning community dental service which is part of Hertfordshire Community Trust (HCT). Cheshunt Community Hospital, based in the town’s King Arthur Court, is managed by HCT.