Yahoo News Exeter's NHS dental crisis deepens as more dentists go private
Exeter's NHS dental crisis is continuing to spiral further with some dentists working across dental group Mydentist announcing they are going private. It has left registered patients now facing either joining Devon's long waiting list for a new NHS dentist, having to fork out for more expensive private treatment or attempting to get an NHS appointment with another dentist at the practice where 'capacity allows'.
Mydentist has three dental practices in Exeter based in the city centre, St Thomas and Heavitree. Each one is losing an NHS dentist with the remaining NHS dentists already said to be operating at 'full capacity'.
Dentists across the UK are self-employed giving them full discretion about whether they want to provide NHS and/ or private dentistry. Mydentist says all affected patients have been contacted.
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It added it is actively recruiting to replace its NHS capacity, but is battling against a UK shortage of dentists. DevonLive has currently been unable to confirm with Access Dental, which manages the NHS waiting list in Devon, how many people are waiting and how long the wait is. However, an Exeter NHS dental patient says they have been told by their dental practice that it is 'around eight years'.
On February 28, Mydentist wrote a letter to patients registered with one of its dentists at its practice in South Lawn Terrace, Heavitree, notifying them that they were going private and their access to NHS treatment would end on June 1. Details were provided of how they could register for a new payment plan ranging from £9.16 to £28.33 per month.
The letter stated: "I will be transferring to an independent dental care model, and I will no longer be delivering NHS funded services. This decision has been made after careful consideration.
"Whilst the NHS remains a reputable and vital service, this transaction will allow me to offer you an extended range of services to support your dental care journey. As a highly valued patient, I very much hope you will choose to remain in my care.
"I will endeavour to complete any courses of NHS treatment I have already started, ensuring continuity of your care on the NHS until June 1, 2024. I understand that some patients may prefer to stay with NHS dental services.
"If you choose to remain with the practice as an NHS patient, NHS dental services will still be available at the practice. However, NHS appointments with clinicians will only be available subject to NHS appointment capacity."
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Mydentist patients registered with the dentist now going private at Cowick Street, St Thomas, were sent letters on April 18, stating their access to NHS treatment will end on July 1. Mydentist is also losing an NHS dentist in North Street but it has not been confirmed when that will be or if it has already happened.
Mydentist has stated where capacity allows, it will treat both adults and children and says it isn’t influenced by whether a parent is a private patient. It has not confirmed how many patients across its three practices have been affected or if any of its practices across Devon are taking on new NHS patients.
A spokesperson for Mydentist said: “We are committed to providing NHS dentistry in Exeter, with the majority of our dentists providing NHS care. In common with dental practices across the UK, however, our practices are operating at full NHS capacity due to a severe shortage of NHS dentists and unprecedented patient demand.
"We continue to work hard to recruit new dentists to increase our NHS capacity in the future.”
