A DENTAL practice in Thornhill is notifying adult patients that they will no longer be provided with NHS services as of 24 December.
Thornhill Dental Practice has issued letters to all 3800 of its adult patients. This is contributing to a worsening situation around access to NHS dental services within Dumfries and Galloway.
The move by the practice is in response to the anticipated departure of one of its two dentists at a time when practices are finding it extremely difficult to recruit to vacancies. The practice will continue to provide NHS services for children, and private dental care for adults.
Alison Milne is Director of Dentistry, and she said: “This is obviously very bad news for all the adult NHS patients registered with Thornhill Dental Practice.
“We continue to work as a health board to encourage and support dentists to provide NHS general dental services, but lack of dentists coming to work in the region is a key issue. Challenges in dental workforce is being seen across the UK.
“However, as has been noted before, this is a situation which is likely to worsen before there is the prospect of any improvement.”
Adult patients losing their registration at Thornhill Dental Practice will now need to seek alternative provision.
At present, there are no dentists within the region accepting new NHS registrations, meaning that the alternatives are to secure registration outwith the region or access dental care privately.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway continues to support dental practices in the recruitment and retention of dentists, and is working closely with Scottish Government colleagues on these matters.
Anyone who is not registered with a dentist and requires emergency dental care can access that by contacting the Dental Helpline on 0845 602 6417.
