Swanage Residents Angered as NHS Dentist goes Private
Residents in Swanage have reacted angrily to news that the only NHS dental practice in the town is set to go private.
Patients currently registered with the Regency Dental Practice in King Street have started a petition after it was confirmed that the practice will go private in March. Mandy Mason, a mother of two, is leading the campaign to stop the practice from cutting NHS ties. She said that everyone registered at the surgery is outraged by the plans, as they will leave hundreds of people without access to an NHS dentist.
The practice is currently the only NHS provider in the town after other surgeries went private. Mrs Mason said that everyone is now panicking because they cannot afford to go private.
A petition has been set up for people to sign in the post office and local shops and there is also an online petition, which has already attracted a great deal of interest.
Mayor Bill Trite said that the local NHS trust had already put the contract out to tender and around ten practices had shown an interest. Dorset South MP, Richard Drax said that he would do everything in his power to help local people.
The owner of the practice, Andrew Thomas, issued a statement saying that it had been a very difficult decision to go private, but NHS constraints had become increasingly difficult to work with and this has prompted the change. He added that he would like to thank all the patients their support.
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