Swansea dental patients in shock after practice confirms plans to stop NHS services
Dental patients in Swansea have been left in shock after a practice confirmed plans to stop NHS services.
The team at Crescent Dental Care in Uplands revealed that NHS provision will stop on March 31st. In a letter to patients, they outlined a number of reasons why NHS dentistry is no longer viable and said that patients would have to sign up for a private membership plan if they wished to remain on the practice list.
The practice will continue to provide NHS treatment for children but will only cater to children whose parents are signed up as private patients.
The letter to patients mentioned multiple issues linked to the NHS dental contract and the way dentistry is being run by the Welsh Government, as well as rising running costs and a national ‘recruitment crisis.’
A spokesperson for Swansea Bay University Health Board said that the news was a shock, adding that they were “surprised and very disappointed.” They also questioned some of the claims in the letter and raised concerns about the accuracy of the information provided to patients.
The private membership plans costs between £9.95 and £29.95 per month. The most basic plan covers one dental check-up and one hygiene appointment per year plus routine X-rays and discounts on some other services.
The health board is now working with the practice team and trying to find a solution to minimise disruption for patients. The letter was not seen by health board representatives before it was sent to patients and a spokesperson said they were worried that the content could cause “unnecessary alarm and confusion.”
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