Suffolk: 'Disappointment' at further cuts to NHS dental care

Patients with A W Brown in Victoria Street, Felixstowe have received letters explaining that from April 1 the practice would no longer be offering free care on the NHS due to a 'chronic lack of investment in NHS dentistry by successive Governments'.

The letter, seen by the EADT, said the 'crucial decision' had been taken to ensure the practice could survive in the long term.

But the announcement is another blow for a county that has been fast losing access to NHS dental care.

Figures from the Local Government Association in October showed that Suffolk had some of the lowest NHS dentist numbers in the country, with the Mid Suffolk district being the fourth lowest, with just 0.067 dentists per 1,000 people.

Mark Jones, co-founder of Toothless in Suffolk (Image: Toothless in Suffolk)

Mark Jones, co-founder of campaign group Toothless in Suffolk, said: "This news is hugely disappointing and incredibly worrying not just for the existing local patients, some have been customers for 30 years or more, but also those who are moving into the area."

He said coastal communities were suffering from a lack of access to basic dental care, adding that community hospitals had 'vacant dental chairs' leaving the local population to 'struggle with toothache' as more practices closed doors to the NHS.

Mr Jones said Governments had failed to tackle the 'contractual and funding problems' with NHS dental care and had prioritised targets over patient needs.

He added: "We'll continue to demand an NHS dentist for everyone, as the health consequences for not having one are extremely grave, as they put a strain on an already overstretched and underfunded NHS."

Last week, charity Dentaid visited Suffolk for the fifth time to provide care to patients in Haverhill and Sudbury who could not access NHS treatment.

A W Brown dental practice refused to comment.