NHS dental appointments axed at major dental practice

Hathaway Dental Practice in Chippenham recently informed NHS patients that routine check-ups would be cancelled or postponed from September.

In an email to patients, the practice, a branch of the Dr Michael Frain Ltd dentistry chain, revealed the “immense pressure” NHS dentistry was facing had prompted the decision.

The branch has been struggling to juggle the high demand for regular check-ups and urgent care, with patients waiting as long as four months for a simple filling.

The cancellations have been made in order to clear this backlog and meet NHS standards, and will be reviewed on a month-by-month basis.

In the letter, a spokesperson said: “The practice is under immense pressure.

“Many of you will be aware of the struggles currently facing the NHS as a whole, especially in dentistry, and our practice is no exception.

“Over the last year it has been very difficult to provide both regular check-up appointments as well as urgent dental care – in fact even if you need a simple filling we are currently booking as far out as four months to complete that treatment.

“Therefore, in order to work through this backlog and meet the NHS standards, we have taken the very difficult decision to cancel or postpone routine check-ups from September. This decision will be reviewed on a month-by-month basis.”

The Hathaway Medical Centre (Image: Google Maps)

While patients say they understand the pressures on the dentistry industry make such decisions inevitable, they are frustrated their care has been thrown into chaos.

One patient said: "I can completely understand why dentists are taking this sort of decision. The government payment system is ludicrous, and ministers don't seem remotely interested in sorting it out.

“But it means that hundreds of people in Chippenham are in limbo - not knowing if or when they'll ever get a check-up. Dental care is way too important to be left up in the air like this."

Patients are still urged to call the practice if they have a dental issue and appointments can be arranged, but people should be prepared for routine exams to be cancelled.

This will not affect individuals’ ability to see an NHS dentist in the future if a cancellation means they have not seen one for over two years.

A message on the Dr Michael Frain Ltd website indicates that NHS dental treatment is no longer being offered in their Swindon or Bristol branches amidst a national crisis.