Bupa Dental confirms Millom practice closure
Bupa Dental has confirmed the closure of its Millom practice.
Claire Pearson, regional operations director, said that Bupa has decided to close the practice in Millom due to staffing shortages.
It has been impossible to fill vacancies for permanent dentists and this means that it is no longer viable to offer NHS dental services. Despite ongoing efforts to find dentists to fill the roles, Bupa has been unable to recruit dentists in Cumbria amid a national shortage.
The practice, which is located on St George’s Street, provides NHS care for thousands of residents. Ms Pearson stressed that Bupa Dental is working with the NHS to find new NHS providers but there is widespread concern among residents and local councillors.
Bob Kelly, a town councillor, described the practice as “vital” and said that many residents cannot afford to pay for private dental care. The closure of the clinic means that the people of Millom will have no access to NHS dental services.
MP for Copeland, Trudy Harrison, said that she was liaising with the government to try to find solutions to ease access issues and improve provision in the area.
She said that many constituents have raised concerns about the lack of the dental care in the county and added that the NHS has been monitoring the situation and reviewing local services with a view to boosting capacity.
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