York dental practice closure to leave 7,000 patients without a dentist
The closure of Bupa Dental Care’s York practice is set to leave 7,000 patients without a dentist.
Bupa Dental Care confirmed that it was closing or merging 85 practices across the UK this year, with most shutting in June. One of chosen practices is the Holgate clinic in York. The practice is due to close at the end of June, leaving thousands of patients worrying about finding a dentist.
The closure of Bupa Dental Care in Holgate has caused widespread anxiety in the local community, with residents taking to social media to share concerns. There is already a shortage of NHS dental places in the city and the impending closure will add thousands more people to lengthy waiting lists. One elderly patient said that waiting times were so long that they feared they wouldn’t be alive by the time their next appointment came around.
The Holgate practice has a team of 27 members of staff, some of whom will relocate to other Bupa Dental Care practices and it serves over 7,000 patients. It provides NHS and private dental care.
Speaking to a local newspaper, one patient said that dentists at the practice were shocked and saddened to learn about the closure, especially as there are no recruitment issues at the clinic and the surgery is functioning well.
York currently has around 40 dental practices, with half providing NHS and private services. The number of NHS dentists has fallen, which is making it difficult for patients to access NHS dental care. Residents are worried that more practices will go private making dental treatment unaffordable for the majority of people.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion