York dental practice to stop NHS services
The dental access crisis in York is set to deepen after a practice on the outskirts of the city centre confirmed it would be stopping NHS dental services.
Until recently, York Dental Practice in Clifton Moor was a mixed practice, offering NHS and private dental services. Now, the owners have revealed that the practice will cease to offer NHS services.
Patients have been sent a letter explaining the decision and they have been encouraged to take up the chance of signing up for monthly dental plans for private care. The plans are available at a cost of £14.95 and £23.75 per month.
The letter suggested that it would be impossible to continue to provide NHS services at the practice while focusing on delivering first-class patient care. The current NHS contract was described as “inflexible.”
Staff at the practice are working with the NHS in the local area to try to find places for children who attended the clinic. Moving forward, the practice wants to concentrate on preventative dentistry and will make every effort to make private services as affordable and accessible as possible.
A recent survey carried out by Healthwatch York indicated that patients in the city were already experiencing difficulties in accessing NHS dental care. Only 59% of adults surveyed had a dentist, which is a significant reduction from 84% in 2018.
York Central MP, Rachael Maskell raised the issue in a debate at Westminster Hall recently and repeated her calls for a national dentistry system, which was free to access. She spoke of residents contacting her constantly, highlighting examples of a man who had pulled his own tooth out and another man who had been forced to spend his funeral savings on private dental treatment because he couldn’t get an NHS appointment.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion