RESIDENTS in Wellington and Rockwell Green are facing huge costs for dental treatment as a result of the loss of NHS dentistry within the town.

Over the last few months practices across Wellington have stopped treating patients on the NHS and patients face either using dental insurance schemes or going private.

County councillor for Wellington and Rockwell Green Andrew Govier said: "This is a very unfortunate situation that is leading to local residents facing huge bills and there is a risk that people are suffering in silence or having to borrow money to get their dental work carried out.

"The bills people are facing range from several hundreds to thousands of pounds to get their teeth sorted. Unfortunately, the Government has not invested in NHS dentistry over the last 11 years and the situation has now reached the point where dentists have had enough and are withdrawing out of the NHS scheme."

Dentists are private contractors who can opt in or out of the NHS and for many years most have provided a mixture of private and NHS services. However, in the last few years the funding for those carrying out work on the NHS has been squeezed to the point they no longer feel it is financially viable to remain with the NHS.

The problem has been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic which has led to reduced treatment slots as rooms have to be deep-cleaned after every consultation.

Cllr Govier added: "The patient participation group at Wellington Medical Centre has written to the local MP and I have asked for the matter to be discussed at the county council’s health scrutiny committee.

"However, it is clear that this is national issue and the only real solution is for the Government to provide more funding to recruit and retain dentists. They also need to improve the NHS scheme to attract local practices back into the scheme."