Town To Go 6 Months Without Access To NHS Dental Care

Thu, 24 Sep 2009

Dental patients in the town of Saltash, Cornwall, are set to lose their last NHS dental practice .

The Saltash Dental Surgery has written to patients informing them that it will no longer be operating under the NHS after 14 years of service, and will become a private practice in November.

In a statement, Dr Anthony Coelho said the surgery had made the decision because it had found it "increasingly challenging" to provide its patients with the standard of care "they deserve".

He explained that the local Primary Care Trust (PCT) had refused to continue providing the practice with funding for NHS treatment for children and adults who are exempt from dental charges.

"This has been a very difficult decision for us and one we have not taken lightly," Dr Coelho said. "We believe it is the best way for us to maintain continuity of care without compromising quality."

Julia Cory, associate director of the Cornwall PCT, said the Trust was planning to open a new practice offering NHS dental treatment from next spring, and added that patients had other options open to them in the meantime.

She said: "They have currently have the option of a dental practice in Torpoint and also the option of emergency NHS treatment at the primary care dental service at St Barnabas Hospital in Saltash."

"We are already addressing the issues of provision in Saltash. We have this under control and we have plans for a new dental practice for next spring, so the actual time that people would have to wait would be from November until next spring."
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