Fears that Workington’s last NHS dentist is set to go private have been refuted by its operators.
Cumbria Crack was told that patients at the town’s Bupa Dental Care, on Campbell-Savours Way, had been informed that NHS appointments would no longer be available and they were offered private plans instead.
However, Bupa said that it had one dentist offering NHS care and there were two long-standing vacancies, which limited the availability of NHS appointments.
It said it was prioritising emergency cases, children and patients at higher risk of oral health diseases, in line with NHS guidelines, which meant it was unable to offer routine NHS appointments at this time.
A spokesman said: “We are activity recruiting an additional dentist to support routine care for NHS patients at our practice in Workington. We will keep patients updated as soon as there are any changes.
“In the meantime, we want to reassure patients that they will remain as an NHS patient.”
Bupa Dental Care in Workington has offered NHS appointments for at least the last 15 years, but has not accepted new NHS patients for a while, like many dentists in the county.
According to a search on the NHS website, it appears the only dentist nearest Workington offering NHS appointments is a practice in Egremont – 11.3 miles away.
Two practices in Carlisle, one in Penrith and three in Barrow are also accepting NHS patients.
The website says dentists are accepting NHS patients when availability allows – so even if the practices say they are taking on patients, it does not necessarily mean they have the capacity to do so at this time.
However, 10 dental practices listed only take NHS patients for specialist dental care by referral, but the bulk of dentists who offer NHS services are not taking on new NHS patients.
Last week, national NHS bosses told a Parliamentary committee that the previous Conservative government’s Dental Recovery Plan had failed.
A golden hello for dentists to encourage them to work in underserved areas saw 39 sign up. The target was 240. An idea to introduce dentist vans did not materialise.
Many dentists say their contract with the NHS actually costs them money to deliver and is in stark contrast with the cash they earn from private practice.
