Dental patients left in the lurch after Edinburgh practice goes private
NHS dental patients have been left in the lurch after a practice in Edinburgh switched to private care.
Patients at Links Dental in Bruntsfield were sent an email recently confirming that the practice would deregister NHS patients from October. Patients have been given an option to sign up for a private plan, which starts at £258 per year, or choose pay as you go services.
The practice currently provides care for around 10,000 patients. NHS patients received an email informing them of the impending changes on Sunday 29th May. From October, NHS dentistry will be unavailable and patients will be taken off the list unless they want to remain as private patients.
The practice is offering a choice of two payment plans: the Pain Free Plan and the Pain Free Plan Extra. The Pain Free Plan costs £21.50 per month and covers two dental check-ups, hygiene sessions and emergency appointments per year. For an extra £5.50 per month, patients can access two extra dental hygiene sessions per year.
The email from the practice outlined the reasons why NHS dentistry is no longer a viable option for the team and states that it has been a “difficult decision.” It has become increasingly difficult to align treatment targets and capacity with the ability to provide high standards of patient care.
Patients who are currently undergoing courses of treatment will be able to continue as normal before the switch in the autumn and emergency appointments will be available for NHS patients until October.
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