As a local practice closes, patients tell This is the Coast they can't find a local dentist taking new NHS patients.
Hundreds of people in Scarborough could find themselves with out an NHS dentist.
The {my}dentist practise on Dunslow Road in Eastfield has written to it's patients advising them that they are closing at the end of April.
The practice say difficulty recruiting Dentists to the area and increasing running costs are to blame for the closure.
In the letter they advise patients to use an official website to find an alternative NHS dentist.
But a number of patients have told this is the coast, that is proving difficult, Anthony is one of them...
In the letter to patients {my}dentist say:
"The decision to close the practice has not been taken lightly. Unfortunately difficulties experienced in recruiting dentists to the area and increasing running costs have prevented the practice fro operating sustainably."
The letter also points patients to an NHS website to locate alternative NHS treatment, the letter says:
"NHS England & NHS Improvement have committed to retain NHS dentistry in the area. The NHS dental activity previously completed by our practise will be recommissioned as part of a procurement process i the North Yorkshire and Humber area. To help you to find another NHS dental practice at the point you need your next routine dental check-up, you can search online using the NHS website located at https://www.nhs.uk"
The NHS website has a search function which alows you to locate dentists in your area https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/results/Scarborough?latitude=54.28157923063392&longitude=-0.40220848570388296
A Search for NHS dentist in Scarborough returns a number of Scarborough based practises along with suggested dentists in Whitby, Bridlington, Pickering, Malton and Driffield.
Anthony says he's called a number of the dentists in Scarborough and can't find one thta will take on new NHS patients, leaving him with no choice to pay out for private treatment, he says it's frustrating.
The NHS website states:
NHS England commissions dental services in England and is required to meet the needs of their local population for both urgent and routine dental care.
It also says:
Dental surgeries will not always have the capacity to take on new NHS patients – you may have to join a waiting list, look for a different dentist who is taking on new NHS patients, or be seen privately.
Once you find a dental surgery, you may have to fill in a registration form at your first visit, which is just to add you to their patient database. However, that does not mean you have guaranteed access to an NHS dental appointment in the future.
If after contacting several dental surgeries you still cannot find a dentist accepting NHS patients, call NHS England's Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233.
We asked NHS England for an interview about the issue they say:
"Unfortunately no one is available for interview but we’re committed to commissioning a new primary care dental service for the Scarborough area to ensure the needs of the local people continue to be met."
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