Dental practice hoping to double in size

Plans to double the size of a dental surgery to cope with rising demand have been revealed.

Bhandal Dental Practice in Birmingham Road, Blackheath, has submitted plans to Sandwell Council asking for permission to expand its facilities into the town's former Barclays bank.

It would mean doubling the number of rooms to 16 along with larger waiting rooms and more offices and storage facilities.

The practice said it had been operating at capacity and finding an NHS dentist in the area was was challenging.

In March it was revealed that dentists in England were returning hundreds of millions of pounds a year to the government for unfulfilled NHS care, as dentists instead prioritise private work.

More than a fifth of people have reported not being able to access NHS dental care when they need it.

A statement included with the application to the council said: "Finding an NHS dentist in Blackheath can be challenging, with many practices at capacity or not accepting new patients.

"Bhandal Dental Practice has historically operated at capacity, highlighting high demand in the immediate area.

"Increasing the footprint of the practice with the creation of eight more surgeries will support the ever-increasing need for high-quality NHS dentistry provision for local people."

The council approved plans by Dr Bhandal to convert the former bank into six two-bed flats in 2024 but the work was not carried out.

The branch closed in April 2023 as part of a string of closures by the bank and has remained empty since.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.