A councillor and parliamentary candidate has appealed to the future new owner of the former Bupa dental surgery in Keswick to continue to provide NHS care.
Cllr Markus Campbell-Savours has personally handed a letter to the Packhorse Court practice in which he stressed how key the service was for local people.
In it he says that despite Keswick’s apparent wealth, many residents are on relatively low incomes and struggle with the cost of living. He adds that families with young children will be particularly concerned at the potential cost of private treatment.
“At a time when many are suffering the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, NHS dentistry has never been more important,” wrote Cllr Campbell-Savours, who is standing as the Labour candidate in the forthcoming Penrith and Solway election. “You are the only NHS practice in Keswick and there are no other dentists in Cumbria accepting new patients. In the last few weeks Goodwin & Associates in Cockermouth has announced their decision to ditch their NHS dental contract.
“It is therefore very likely that patients will be forced to register for private dental insurance or join the one in five Britons who are not registered with a dentist at all.”
Speaking to The Keswick Reminder after handing over the letter at the surgery, Cllr Campbell-Savours said: “Cumbria has become an NHS dental desert and the Conservatives have simply failed to do anything about it. Earlier this month hundreds queued to register outside an NHS practice in Bristol, forcing the Government into an embarrassing policy announcement where they simply pinched part of Labour’s plan for NHS dentistry.
“I’m quite clear though, without reform of the failed dental contract we will continue to see practices shut the door. With months to go till an election, I hope it is not too late for Keswick.”
And last February the Reminder reported that John Lewis, chairman of the North Cumbria Local Dental Committee, had described the county as being a “dental desert”. He cited staff recruitment problems as a key factor and said to his knowledge not a single dentist in North Cumbria was currently taking on new patients – either NHS or private.
“I am trying to save NHS dentistry for the people of Keswick who need it,” said Cllr Campbell-Savours. “I believe (if the former Bupa practice does not take on NHS patients) it would be a disaster for Keswick. There is a clear need for NHS dental surgeries that are more cost effective for our residents. The figures for the number of people in the country that are not registered with a dentist is frightening.”
Cllr Campbell-Savours said that Cumberland Council’s Health Scrutiny Panel and Health & Wellbeing Board had recently looked at the enormous challenges facing NHS dentistry. He said that he was aware of the problems with the NHS dental contract and the consequential rise in dental decay in the area.
He said that he would welcome the opportunity to meet with the new owners of the surgery to discuss the matter and better understand how he can help.
Last week the Conservative Government announced £200m of funding to deal with the nationwide dental crisis with NHS dentists set to be given a ‘new patient’ payment of between £15 and £50 to treat around a million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or more. The Government says that the plan could see up to 2.5 million additional NHS dental appointments delivered for patients over the next 12 months, including up to 1.5 million extra treatments being delivered.
And in a bid to attract new NHS dentists and improve access to care in areas with the highest demand, around 240 dentists will be offered one-off payments of up to £20,000 for working in under-served areas for up to three years.
Dentist Elinor Hall-Patch told the Reminder that she was in the process of buying the dental practice in Packhorse Court but was unable to make a comment until the sale was completed.
