Councillors' concerns for NHS dentistry in county with more practices under review

The comments followed the recent announcements by Bupa that it will close its practice in Skegness and is reviewing a further two practices in Boston and Sleaford.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee has called on health bosses to appear before them to provide an update on the impact of the closures and others.

At a meeting on Wednesday, 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.”

Lincoln Councillor Jane Loffhagen 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.

“Even those who are reasonably well off still can’t afford an expensive treatment with a private dentist.”

Sleaford Councillor Mark Allan questioned whether the CQC could “carry out inspections on a service that does not exist”.

Bupa is currently reviewing changes across 85 dental practices nationwide.

The private healthcare company says it has been forced to make the changes due to difficulty recruiting dentists, as well as higher energy costs.

General manager for Bupa Dental Care Mark Allan previously said: “We fully understand the impact today’s decision has on our patients and our people within these practices. This decision has not been taken lightly and closure is a last resort.

“Despite our continued efforts, the dental industry is facing 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.”

A website has been recently launched by Lincolnshire County Council which examines various aspects of healthcare in the region.

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment said urban and coastal areas showed higher levels of deprivation, which are often associated with poor oral health.

A quarter of five-year-old children have experienced some form of dental decay in England – but figures vary considerably across Lincolnshire.

Boston has the highest proportion of five-year-olds with dental decay – significantly higher than the other districts, Lincolnshire and England. North Kesteven and South Kesteven have the lowest proportions and are significantly lower than England.

For adults in the county, cases of dental decay, filled teeth and gum bleeding are lower than the national average but the number of fitted dentures is slightly higher than England.

It notes that in “some areas of Lincolnshire it is very difficult to access general dental services” particularly on the East Coast.

Lincolnshire County Council has commissioned an oral health promotion service which aims to improve the situation.

However, the county council notes there is limited and outdated data on oral health and that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a “considerable impact”.

It’s report adds a large proportion of Lincolnshire does not receive artificially fluoridated water and there are gaps in general health provision due to a lack of resources.