ANOTHER dental practice is quitting the NHS and going private. 

White Gables Dental Practice in Colwyn Bay has notified patients that it is relinquishing their "small NHS contract".

Darren Millar, MS for Clwyd West, shared details of the letter sent to patients.

It states: "We have taken the decision to relinquish our small NHS contract, which means that the provision of your dental care will change from September 1 2023.

"We will only be offering private or Denplan dental services from that date onwards.”

Mr Millar has made fresh calls for Wales' Health Minister Eluned Morgan to "urgently resolve" the dental care crisis in Wales.

He said: “Earlier this year, following the announcement that Ruthin Dental Practice is to cease providing NHS treatment to adult patients, I launched a petition calling on the Welsh Government and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) to ensure that affected patients continue to have access to NHS dental services

“I am now having to launch a petition to safeguard NHS services in Colwyn Bay.

“The Welsh Government was warned that unless it acted to address concerns raised by the dentistry profession about its new dental contract, many dentists in Wales would withdraw from the provision of NHS services, but it refused to listen and we now find ourselves in this position.

RELATED STORIES

“As I told the First Minister earlier this year, 16 years ago when I first became a Member of the Senedd, people were able to access two NHS check-ups a year, and most people in my constituency were able to register with a local NHS dentist without any issues.

“Now NHS dentistry, particularly in North Wales, appears to be falling off a cliff.

“We've now gone down to a system whereby most people can only access a check-up every 12 months, if that, and, in when people move home, they're not able to register with a local NHS dentist. I have constituents having to go to Scotland in order to receive their NHS dental treatment because they cannot register in my constituency. It’s a simply ludicrous set up and the Health Minister needs to stop burying her head in the sand and instead come up with a plan to ensure that people have access to an NHS dentist when they need one.”  

Peter Greensmith, BCUHB's assistant director North Wales Dental Service, said: “Access to NHS dentistry is a challenge across the UK and we fully appreciate how frustrating this can be for North Wales residents.

“A commissioning exercise for additional dental services across North Wales is currently underway, with a tender running until mid-July. Through this procurement exercise we are looking to establish additional provision in existing dental practices as well as the creation of new practices. This will increase the overall availability of NHS dental services and help to shorten waiting times for new dental patients.

“We have also recently established the North Wales Dental Academy, which aims to provide both established and newly qualified dental professionals with an opportunity to train, work, and upskill. We anticipate that this will improve the recruitment and retention of dentists across the region.”

Patients seeking an alternative NHS practice can find a list of practices and their contact details at:

https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/services/where-do-i-go1/dental/

Patients finding themselves in urgent need of a dentist and who have been unable to locate a practice that can accommodate them should contact NHS Direct Wales on 111 where they will triaged and, if appropriate, directed into an urgent access session.