Northern Ireland dental patients left without a dentist due to temporary closures
Thousands of patients in Northern Ireland were left without a dentist recently due to temporary practice closures.
Smart Dental Care closed six practices during the week commencing January 2nd. Reports suggest that the closures were due to financial disputes. Patients attending practices in Lisburn, Castlereagh, Belfast, Dundonald, Donaghadee and Ballysillan were affected.
Many patients posted comments on social media after visiting practices to find that their appointments had been cancelled. Several said they had turned up at surgeries to find a note on the door, explaining that the clinics were closed.
On Friday 6th January, representatives from Smart Dental Care posted on Facebook, informing patients that the practices would reopen on January 9th. In a message shared on Friday evening, the chain confirmed that all scheduled appointments for the week commencing January 9th would go ahead as normal. The post also stated that teams would be in touch with patients whose appointments were cancelled to reschedule.
Smart Dental Care suggested that the practices had to close temporarily due to factors that were “beyond our control” and assured patients that the required steps have now been taken to ensure that practices don’t have to shut again. The company has issued an apology and said that teams are looking forward to welcoming patients back.
A spokesperson for the British Dental Association in Northern Ireland said that the association was “concerned about the potential impact for patients” after hearing that the practice closures were linked to a ‘financial dispute.’
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