Kent patients left in the lurch as Bupa Dental Care confirms plans to shut Canterbury and Folkestone practices
Kent patients are set to be left in the lurch after Bupa Dental Care confirmed the closure of practices in Canterbury and Folkestone.
The two practices have been named on a list of 85 clinics, which are set to be sold, closed or merged in the next eight months. Bupa Dental Care recently announced that it was closing practices across the country due to a shortage of dentists.
The practices in Folkestone and Canterbury will close permanently on the 30th June, leaving thousands of people trying to find a new dentist. The news was confirmed on the Bupa Dental Care website, which encouraged patients affected by the impending closure to look for places at other Bupa sites by using the search tool on the website.
Patients who are registered with the clinics in Kent have already voiced concerns on social media, with many expressing fears about finding a new practice. According to one patient, there are currently no practices in Canterbury offering new NHS patient places. This means that all the patients affected by the closure will have to join waiting lists, travel out of the area or pay for private dentistry.
In a statement, Bupa Dental Care said that it was a last resort to close the practices but a necessity due to long-term recruitment issues and challenges facing the dental industry.
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