CONCERNED residents have hit out at their local dental practice’s decision to cut back on NHS treatment.

A patient from the Moretonhampstead Dental Practice contacted the Mid-Devon Advertiser after receiving a letter from Dr Presh Mulay informing them of the cutback.

‘You should always have access to the highest standards of dental care. This is something we believe in, very strongly at Moretonampsted Dental Practice,’ said the letter.

‘To ensure I can continue to offer this level of care, I will no longer be offering NHS dental treatment from the 1st May, 2022.

‘I will, however, aim to complete any courses of NHS treatment I have already started.

‘So that my patients benefit from this change, I have introduced Denplan payment plans to help you budget for your dental care.’

Dr S Channing, Dr S Button and Dr P Mulay responded to an inquiry from the Mid-Dev on Advertiser.

They said: ‘At Moretonhampstead Dental Practice we have always been committed to providing high quality preventive dentistry and patient care has alway been our first priority.

‘Our decision has not been an easy one to make, but one we feel necessary for the continuity of care for our patients based upon the funding available to us for provision of NHS treatment.

‘The most important thing for us, is that we ensure every patient maintains good oral health and therefore we will be offering our existing patients access to Denplan payment plans or fee per item payment for their treatment. Denplan plans will allow patients to budget for the cost of their annual treatment through a fixed monthly payment.

‘We do understand that this may not suit all our patients at this time and have provided contact details for those preferring to source alternative NHS dental provision.

‘We would like to thank all our patients for their support and loyalty and look forward to continuing to provide quality dental care for them and their families.’

The patient, who gave their name and details but asked not to be named, said: ‘Everyone will be pretty anxious about this like me.

‘If you are not able to pay for private treatment this will be a great concern.’

He indicated that the Moretonhampstead Community Hub had more than 180 comments from other concerned patients.

l Among the comments people said: ‘I’m shocked by this news. I’ve spent years trying to get NHS dental care for my daughter in Plymouth with out success. The list is so long she’s still at the bottom after four years. She had to travel to Cornwall for emergency treatment as no one would see her under the NHS in her area. There’s a national dental crisis which I never expected to hit Moreton.’

l Another said: ‘I am just a little annoyed that I was not given the opportunity to switch to my wife’s dentist. She is remaining as an NHS dentist, as I understand it. So I’m now no longer NHS and she is. So much for 15 years of loyalty.’

l ‘This is how privatisation of the whole NHS is taking place. It’s not going to ‘start with a £70,000 bill for your heart surgery – it’s a steady increase in private treatment being the only realistic option per ailment or consultation. One small dental practice in Devon waves goodbye to NHS care having a worrying, painful and expensive effect on a community but is unnoticed in the wider country which falls inch by inch into general privatisation.’

‘I am really disappointed. I have had NHS treatment from Presh and at the practice for 30 years.’ 

‘Disgraceful for the longest residents of the area to be dropped like this! Especially the 65+ year olds.’

‘Without wanting to depress anyone further, I’ve been waiting for an NHS dentist in Devon for two years. When I spoke to them last week to check my progress they said some people are five years in and counting… it’s disgraceful.’

‘There are many, many people who cannot afford to pay privately for dental care for their children. Children have a right to free dental care. But if that cannot be provided somewhere local, these children will simply just not go to the dentist.’

‘We were shocked to receive the letter too. The worst part of it is being denied the choice of moving to the NHS dentist at Moreton which is very unfair. We certainly cannot afford to go private so I guess it will be a case of waiting for a problem before seeking treatment!

Even children who are free under the NHS will be charged too!’

‘Disgraceful. I have been with Moreton dentist for 28 years, although there are plenty of people who have been using their services for much longer.

‘I have just discovered that there is no NHS dentist available in Devon to register our 11 month old with.’

‘Blatant running down of wonderful National services then filling the gap created with excessive costing private companies.’