A dental practice in Berrow says it is seeing “unprecedented demand” and has warned patients that it is unable to offer NHS routine treatment.
Parkfield Dental Practice in Berrow has written to patients about the issues which it says are being caused by losing two NHS dentists and a lack of funding.
The practice says in its letter: “We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about the situation at the practice; how the crisis in the NHS is affecting us and ultimately you as a patient.”
“Here at Parkfield Dental Practice, we have always prided ourselves on the service we provide to you, which until recently has meant that most of our patients have been offered appointments within several weeks of contacting the practice. Unfortunately, this level of service is no longer guaranteed.”
“We are seeing unprecedented demand for our services, with significantly more telephone calls compared with last year.”
“We have also lost 2 NHS dentists. Therefore, your appointments may need to be changed. There will be a longer wait time as our team try and navigate around this we have had to think of other options.”
“We are doing our best to accommodate what we can. Our staff are feeling the strain and we are looking at various methods to allow us to continue with the standard of NHS dentistry that we want to provide. However, we are finding it difficult to recruit NHS Dentists. Unfortunately, we have a dentist retiring this year and have also had another leave.”
“At this current time are unable to offer NHS routine treatment.”
“It is important that you see the right person to deal with your problem. The reception team may ask you more questions to ensure this can be done, we may have to re arrange your appointment.”
“Not all dental problems need to be dealt with on the day you contact us. We also receive a lot of calls about lost fillings, chipped teeth, and sensitivity. These are classed as routine problems.”
“We know that many of you are waiting an unacceptable length of time for dental appointments. We share your frustration but unfortunately, we have no control over this. We will expedite your appointment if we think there is a dental need for you to be seen more urgently.”
“We are finding it like many dental practices hard to recruit NHS dentists. We welcome our new private dentist Roja who has recently joined our team here in our Berrow practice.”
“We will be offering new patients or existing patients a practice care plan waiting list option, this is something we are currently looking into.”
“With the increasing costs of NHS dental treatment rising the gap between NHS and Private are closing. We feel we will strive to keep our fees as affordable as possible.”
“The volume of phone calls we receive has increased significantly and it may prove difficult to get through to our reception team. We also have an email address that can be used for general queries.”
“Rest assured we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can with an appointment.”
“Our reception team are doing their absolute best in extremely difficult circumstances. Remember this is not their fault. It is due to years of chronic underfunding of the NHS and difficulties in recruitment.”
“Many minor dental issues can be easily managed at home, until you are able to get an appointment. You can access advice from a pharmacist, or via the NHS website.”
