Pocklington dental practice to close due to dentist shortage
A dental practice in Pocklington, Yorkshire, is set to close after failing to fill vacancies.
Patients at City Health Dental have been informed that the surgery will close at the end of July due to a shortage of dentists. The practice owner has been trying to recruit new dentists for the last 18 months but has been unable to find dentists to join the team. Representatives confirmed that the Market Place practice will shut on July 31st.
Andrew Collingwood, a patient at the practice, said that he had received notice of the closure. The team has been looking for new dentists for the last year and a half, but has been unsuccessful in recruiting new staff, which has resulted in the owner making the difficult decision to close the surgery permanently.
Mr Collingwood added that patients have been advised to contact City Health Dental clinics in Driffield or Beverley if they require urgent treatment and they have attended the surgery in the last eight weeks. Other patients have been told to join waiting lists at the other centres.
Mr Collingwood stated that he had already tried to find an alternative NHS dentist in the area as per the instructions in the letter from City Health Dental but suggested that no places were available. He contacted several practices within a 20-mile radius but was told that none were accepting new NHS patients.
City Health Dental described the situation as “untenable” and said that there was no choice but to close the Pocklington practice.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion