Bupa Dental Care to cut practice in Waterlooville and 84 others across UK due to dentist shortages

Bupa Dental Care is set to cut 85 locations including its site in Stakes Hill Road, Waterlooville. ‘Systemic’ challenges across the industry has been blamed for the closures alongside staff shortages.

The healthcare group said patients at the affected practices have not been able to access the NHS dental service they need. Bupa, which provides NHS and private dental care, said the 85 practices will be shut, sold or merged later this year, bringing the total number of practices in the UK down to 365.

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All of these practices will be open in the meantime. Portsmouth has been labelled a 'dental care desert' due to long running shortages, with stories of families travelling as far as Watford for treatment and a labourer yanking out two of his teeth using pliers at home.

Much of the problems started when Colosseum Dental shut three of its sites in 2019 – leaving 20,000 patients without an NHS dentist. Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan, Labour, said ‘generational damage to patient care’ has been caused by problems in the dental industry – exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was found that 77,000 people nationwide had turned up at overstretched A&Es in 2019/20 with dental problems due to patients being unable to get appointments. A new firm, Dentistry For You, is planning to open two sites in Portsmouth in April. Dr Nadeem Harunani said they had received 2,934 calls in five days.

SEE ALSO: Lack of NHS dentists in Portsmouth must be treated urgently – comment

The move by Bupa will affect 1,200 employed and self-employed staff, over a tenth of its 9,000-strong workforce. Bupa said it would redeploy affected staff where possible.

The provider has not been able to recruit enough dentists to deliver NHS care in many practices for months and in some cases years, it said. Bupa warned the national dentist shortage has been worsened by the NHS contract model, adding that the industry has also been hit by inflation and higher energy prices, which has increased the costs of running patient services.

Mark Allan, general manager for Bupa Dental Care, said: ‘As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need. For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.’

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth left with no new NHS dentist places after chain shuts three surgeries

Bupa said it would be handing back the dental contract to the NHS for practices that are set to close, meaning commissioners can find a new provider to continue treating patients in the area. ‘We fully understand the impact today’s decision has on our patients and our people within these practices,’ Mr Allan added.

‘This decision has not been taken lightly and closure is a last resort. Despite our continued efforts, the dental industry is facing a number of significant and systemic challenges that are placing additional pressure on providing patient care, in particular recruiting dentists to deliver NHS dental care.’

The British Dental Association said the service is ‘approaching the end of the road’ unless the government and the opposition set out clear plans of reform.

SEE ALSO: Pair of new dentists' practices opening in Portsmouth

Practices earmarked for closure:

– Bupa Dental Care Pontefract

– Bupa Dental Care Rochdale

– Bupa Dental Care York

– Bupa Dental Care Bolsover

– Bupa Dental Care Shildon

– Bupa Dental Care Sunderland

– Bupa Dental Care Harleston

– Bupa Dental Care Gloucester

– Bupa Dental Care Ripon

– Bupa Dental Care Cleveleys

– Bupa Dental Care Skegness

– Bupa Dental Care Oakley Vale

– Bupa Dental Care Waterlooville

– Bupa Dental Care Barrow in Furness

– Bupa Dental Care Bishop Auckland – Market Place

– Bupa Dental Care Brandon

– Bupa Dental Care Eye

– Bupa Dental Care Stockton

– Bupa Dental Care Sturry

– Bupa Dental Care Bristol – St Pauls

– Bupa Dental Care Wolverhampton

– Bupa Dental Care Poole

– Bupa Dental Care Folkestone

– Bupa Dental Care Tewkesbury

– Connaught Village Dentistry

– Bupa Dental Care Leckhampton

– Bupa Dental Care Thames Ditton

– Manchester Cheadle Dental and Implant Clinic

– White Dental

Practices under review:

– Bupa Dental Care Addlestone

– Bupa Dental Care Ashton-in-Makerfield

– Bupa Dental Care Boston

– Bupa Dental Care Brampton

– Bupa Dental Care Burton on Trent

– Bupa Dental Care Cove Bay

– Bupa Dental Care Crewkerne

– Bupa Dental Care Denbigh

– Bupa Dental Care Egremont

– Bupa Dental Care Erdington

– Bupa Dental Care Evington

– Bupa Dental Care Hereford

– Bupa Dental Care Hucknall

– Bupa Dental Care Kendal

– Bupa Dental Care Keswick

– Bupa Dental Care Kingseat

– Bupa Dental Care Liskeard

– Bupa Dental Care Lydney

– Bupa Dental Care Marden

– Bupa Dental Care Maryport

– Bupa Dental Care Netherfield

– Bupa Dental Care Newport Shropshire

– Bupa Dental Care North Lakeland

– Bupa Dental Care North Walsham

– Bupa Dental Care Penge

– Bupa Dental Care Penrhyn

– Bupa Dental Care Plymouth

– Bupa Dental Care Preston

– Bupa Dental Care Redditch

– Bupa Dental Care Rhyl

– Bupa Dental Care Rise Park

– Bupa Dental Care Rustington

– Bupa Dental Care Ryde

– Bupa Dental Care Seaford

– Bupa Dental Care Sleaford

– Bupa Dental Care Stroud

– Bupa Dental Care Sutton-in-Ashfield

– Bupa Dental Care Wellingborough

– Bupa Dental Care Woolston

– Bupa Dental Care Worcester City

– Metamorphosis Orthodontics

– Total Orthodontics Colwyn Bay

– Total Orthodontics Wigan

– Wrexham Dental Implant Clinic

– Bupa Dental Care Holborn

– Bupa Dental Care Manchester Square

– Total Orthodontics Wokingham

– Total Orthodontics Marlow

– Total Orthodontics Camberley

– Bupa Dental Care Blackpool Station Road

– Bupa Dental Care Leslie

– Total Orthodontics Downpatrick

– Bupa Dental Care Omagh Campsie Road

Planned mergers:

– Bupa Dental Care 590 Hull Holderness Road

– Bupa Dental Care Southport

– Bupa Dental Care Mintlaw