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Search forDentists ditch NHS to go private
Thursday, November 20, 2008, 07:30
Portland Dental Care has shut its doors to NHS patients and renamed itself Dentcare1 Smile.
Letters have been sent out to all patients registered with the 40-year-old surgery in Portland Street.
These explain that the practice will no longer be constrained by NHS regulations and will now be offering an exclusive membership scheme,
Monthly subscriptions start at £2 per month for a child, and £8 for an adult. An entire family's subscription could cost in excess of £240 per year, regardless of whether dental treatment is carried out.
Former Portland Dental Care patient Steve Richards (49), who lives in Bracebridge Heath, near Lincoln, said he was forced to cease his registration on hearing the practice had gone private.
He said: "I received a letter saying the dental practice was no longer accepting NHS patients, and if current NHS patients wanted to stay registered then they'd have to pay a monthly subscription.
"Their dental plan costs £8 per month, per person. I've got a family of four, who are all aged over 16. A monthly subscription would cost me £32.
"I contacted NHS Lincolnshire and they referred me to two different dental practices. I rang both of them only to find that they were only considering patients who were aged under 16 or over 65.
"It's a disgrace."
NHS Lincolnshire head of contracting Di Pegg said: "NHS Lincolnshire was notified that Portland Dental Care was going to go private.
"The position of NHS dentistry has improved dramatically in the past two years. I feel we have made excellent progress in improving services in Lincolnshire."
Staff at Dentcare1 Smile refused to comment.
For the full story see Thursday's Lincolnshire Echo.
Dentcare1 Smile in Portland Street.
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