Dentistry crisis (From Stroud News and Journal)

Dentistry crisis

FREE check-ups may be a thing of the past as dentists in and around Stroud consider pulling out of the NHS.

The Government has issued new contracts that change the way it pays dentists, who have until March 31 to sign.

But dentists and patients believe the new system will result in a critical shortage of practices offering care on the NHS.

Stroud resident Jagdish Patel, 44, was dismayed to discover his dentist at the Lansdown Dental Practice had decided not to sign up.

"Initially I just thought I'd find another NHS dentist," said Mr Patel, of Bisley Road, Stroud.

"But there aren't any others. A lot of them aren't even taking exempt patients, such as those on low incomes or children."

And when he visited dental staff at Stroud Health Care Centre in Beeches Green he was told there was a year-long waiting list.

"There's going to be no preventative dental care in Stroud," he said.

Lester Ellman, of the British Dental Association said the situation was 'a shambles'.

"We're now faced with a contract that puts dentists on a new treadmill and means they can't give the care and time that they want to give to patients," he said.

"Our fear is that the new contract will do nothing to improve access to care for patients or improve the quality of care."

But Stroud MP David Drew said dentists are paid extremely well, even under the NHS.

"Some have now threatened to de-register children, which I think is very bad practice," he said.

"This isn't just about money, it's about quality of life."

Joanna Winn, spokesman for Cotswold and Vale PCT, denied the new contracts were going to result in a shortage of NHS dentists.

"The new contract is designed to pay the same amount of money for the same amount of work, just through a different system," she said.