Dentist blocks 1,000 patients: 'we cannot afford NHS treatment'

Sep 15 2006 By James Cartledge

A THOUSAND dental patients are going without care because cash-strapped surgery chiefs cannot afford to treat them on the NHS, it emerged today.

The appointments were cancelled at Great Barr dentist Michael C Reece and Associates because the practice is running 20 per cent over its NHS budget.

A total of 500 were scrapped last month and this month. Now another 500 have bitten the dust into October and more are set to be cancelled in future.

Boss Michael Reece said an NHS shake-up left his funding slashed by 42 per cent earlier this year.

"We have been instructed to ensure our over-delivery of NHS care is brought into line with our budget allowance," Mr Reece said in a letter to patients. "The only way for us to do this is to cancel the appointments of patients already booked to attend NHS check-ups here. "Because we are over-subscribed for appointments, it has not been possible to re-book these and we know we will have to continue to lower the amount of NHS care we can provide in the future."

Under the terms of new dental contracts, every practice has a fixed budget to provide a defined amount of care and treatment on the NHS.

Practice manager Sara Reece said the surgery had entered into the Department of Health's disputes procedure over its contract and could not comment on the scrapped appointments.

But North Birmingham Primary Care Trust insisted patients could still receive subsidised care elsewhere.

A spokeswoman said the business lost cash because a dentist moved elsewhere, taking her individual contract and funding with her.

She said: "Despite this, the trust has ensured additional funding has remained with the Reece practice and an investment of around £200,000 has been made to fund NHS dental treatment at this practice.

"Another detail in the new dental contract relates to the amount of NHS activity which can be undertaken by each practice each year. Practices must ensure they do not exceed the number of NHS appointments that relate to this activity level. Although this is a change, most practices are managing." n Patients trying to find an NHS dentist in Birmingham should call Kevin Arnold on 0121 213 1037 or 1038. Patients in Walsall or Sandwell were advised to call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.