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9,000 patients to lose NHS treatment
14th Mar 2006
One of Cornwall's biggest dental surgeries is stopping the NHS service it provides for adults from April. The head of the White Rose surgery in Camborne, Dr Simon Smith, is leaving the health service after 25 years. He said it was because the government's new contract did not allow him to do the thorough work his patients needed. About 9,000 adults will be affected, but not children. Acting chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft said the new contracts gave patients a better deal. He said: ‘We believed the new contract offered was a retrograde step, and would not let us carry out the preventative care to the patients that we wish to do.’ From April, instead of being paid for each NHS treatment they carry out, dentists will be given a guaranteed income based on their historical income. Many dentists say that under the new contracts, they would not be able to spend time addressing preventative measures. Health trust bosses said the contracts would actually allow dentists to spend more time with their patients. In the meantime, the NHS in Cornwall said emergency dentistry was still available in the county and that money earmarked for the White Rose surgery would be used to provide treatment. Adrian Tyas, director of the Primary Care Support Agency, said: ‘We retain the funding that’s been given up and we'll use it to bring new dentists into the county. ‘That's not a quick thing to do, but we will do it as quickly as possible. ‘In the meantime, Cornwall is very fortunate to have a very large salaried dental service that does provide treatment for people in trouble, and they have clinics in every main town throughout the county.’
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