Councillors have described the situation in Lincolnshire as “heartbreaking” as the area faces increasing dental access issues due to practice closures.
In March 2023, Bupa Dental Care announced its intention to close, sell or merge 85 of its practices. Mark Allen, general manager for Bupa Dental Care, said it resulted from “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 consolidation plans include closing Bupa’s branches in Skegness and Boston.
Commenting to BBC News, Boston councillor Katie Chalmers said, “The closure of dental practices in Boston and Skegness is heartbreaking.
“Dental care in Lincolnshire is a rich man’s game, which is absolutely devastating to everyone with a family that’s entitled to that treatment and care.”
To gain insight into NHS dental accessibility in the area, Healthwatch Lincolnshire surveyed residents. It discovered “45 per cent of respondents had no access to an NHS dentist with the same amount not having had an NHS dental check-up in the past two years.”
The report stated that many patients have resorted to private treatment.
Jane Loffhagen, Lincoln councillor, said, “We know without looking at the information that the situation is absolutely dire.
“This is a total crisis and totally unacceptable for people not able to access a dentist unless they’ve got hundreds of pounds in their back pocket, which huge swathes of the population don’t.”