Battle for NHS Dental Places in East Kent
Patients in East Kent face a battle for NHS dental places after Associated Dental Practices announced that it will be ceasing to offer NHS dental care at two if its 3 East Kent practices.
Associated Dental Practices has merged with Integrated Dental Holdings after an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading revealed that the company had control of the local market, which contravened regulations about competition.
Associated Dental Practices recently told patients that it would no longer be offering dental services at the practices in Ramsgate and Sandwich, leaving hundreds of patients wondering where they will be able to see an NHS dentist.
NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent has revealed that negotiations have begun with other practices to tender the contract, but this may take time and patients could face lengthy trips in the meantime; the trust has pledged to provide temporary services if there is a period of time between the surgeries ceasing NHS care and a new practice taking up the contract. The surgeries will treat existing patients until the 31st August.
Paula Smith, from NHS Kent and Medway, said that patients have a choice between joining the NHS waiting list or staying with the practices and signing up for private dental plans; she added that the trust is trying to get through the waiting list as quickly as possible and encouraged patients to contact the dental helpdesk for information about services in the area.
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