Bupa Dental Care still searching for a buyer for Norfolk practice
Bupa Dental Care is still searching for a buyer for one of the practices it has put up for sale in Norfolk.
Bupa Dental announced plans to sell, shut or merge over eighty practices across the UK earlier this year, with most closing at the end of June. The chain has so far been unable to find a buyer for the practice in North Walsham.
The surgery, which is located in Market Place, was put up for sale due to dentist shortages, which have forced Bupa Dental to close 85 of the company’s 450 practices. The firm, which is one of the largest dental providers in the UK, attributed the closures to staff shortages, ongoing recruitment issues and rising running costs.
The future of the North Walsham practice is hanging in the balance with no new provider in place and no offers on the table. Although services are currently running as normal, Bupa Dental Care is actively seeking to sell the practice and pass the NHS contract to a new provider. By doing this, the clinic will continue to provide NHS services, minimising disruption for patients.
General manager at Bupa Dental Care, Mark Allan, said that the decision to close, sell or merge 85 practices had not been taken lightly but highlighted significant challenges facing the dental industry. Costs are rising and it has become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain NHS dental staff, which means that keeping all the existing practices open is no longer viable.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion