TWO new state-of-the-art centres were officially opened today at Bradford College and the University of Bradford.

A new £500,000 Northern Dental Education Centre - NORDEC - based at Bradford College was officially opening by Bradford South MP Judith Cummins, and national NHS director Matthew Swindells opened the Digital Health Enterprise Zone - DHEZ - centre at the University.

The £7.4 million DHEZ will be used to research and develop digital technology to improve the lives of people with long term illnesses including diabetes, dementia, and cancer.

NORDEC will provide training courses and apprenticeships for aspiring dental nurses, and in-work training for people already working in the sector.

Opening the centre, Judith Cummins said: “I am delighted and proud, this centre puts Bradford at the heart of cutting-edge technology in dentistry.

“The centre will put Bradford on the map nationally as a centre of excellence for dentistry, and the people of Bradford will feel the benefit of the centre and this initiative.

“It is a truly wonderful facility that is the result of hard work between Bradford College, Bradford Council and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

“In Bradford a third of children have not seen a dentist for two years, and 190 of our children have been admitted to hospital for tooth extraction in the past eight months.Training here will upskill dental workers and improve dental care and health in our district.”

Roger Marsh, chairman of the LEP, added: “There is truly nothing like this anywhere else in the north of England, it is unique.

“This facility and its future effects will help our young people achieve their full potential, with facilities appropriate for the 21st Century.”

At the University, Matthew Swindells, director of operations and information at NHS England, said the new DHEZ centre puts Bradford at the “leading edge” of health technology.

He said: “This is an opportunity for Bradford to lead work between academia and the NHS.

“Lots of the technology that will come over the next 20 years will happen here.

“The biggest challenge for the NHS over the next 20 years is helping frail, elderly people live at home independently instead of being stuck in hospital, and the work that will happen here will be crucial to this.”