REGIONAL MS Altaf Hussain has revealed that up to 15,000 people in Bridgend and Porthcawl have been affected by the decision of the Broadlands Dental Practice to go private.
The practice wrote to all patients informing them that from August 1, the practice would treat private patients only. They have offered patients the chance to join a private dental care plan which starts at £11 a month for one dental check-up a year and one hygienist appointment. Other services are charged for separately.
Those who wish to remain under the NHS were told in the letter that Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board would be in touch to tell them which dental practice they would be allocated.
Welsh Conservative Dr Hussain said: “NHS dentistry is in crisis at the moment. Overall, only 15 per cent of NHS practices in Wales are accepting new patients and Wales has 83 fewer dentists than we had in 2020 because they have been leaving in droves.
“You don’t have to look far to find the cause. Funding decisions taken by the Welsh Labour Government ever since it become responsible for the Welsh NHS in 1999 have resulted in Wales having a lower spend on dentistry than either Scotland or Northern Ireland. The figure in 2019 was £47 per head in Wales compared to £55 IN Scotland and £56 in Northern Ireland.
“Government expenditure on dental services in Wales has remained static in real terms over the past 15 years while access to dental services has dwindled as dentists have quit. And what was Welsh Labour’s solution to this crisis?
“A new contract for dentists which gives them 15 per cent less money than they were having six years ago. The British Dental Association has accused Welsh Government of chronic underfunding of Welsh dental services.”
He went on: “I wrote to the health board to ask what was going to happen to the patients at Broadlands who want to remain under the NHS. They say that there are 12 practices in the Bridgend area still taking new patients and that they are currently working with them to ensure people continue to have access to NHS dental services. These plans are being finalised.
“We must hope that these other practices are able to take on the thousands of patients who are now seeking a new dentist in Bridgend. Longer term, Welsh Government has to look again at the remuneration it is offering dentists before we end up with a dental disaster-zone.”