Dentist drops NHS patients (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Dentist drops NHS patients

3:58pm Tuesday 26th February 2008

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A POPULAR dental surgery will no longer serve NHS patients.

N F Gaubert Dental Practice, in the Pantiles, Queen's Park Avenue, Billericay, currently treats both NHS and private patients.

However, the management stated in its latest newsletter it will no longer be able to provide NHS care. It is understood the surgery will only treat private patients from April 1.

The note to patients blames lack of Government support. It read: "Since April 2006 we have been trying to provide some care under the new NHS Dental Contract. We are not paid for what we do to help you, but to reach NHS targets.

"We have found it impossible to meet these targets providing proper care. Now our payments are being severely reduced.

"We cannot continue to provide NHS care as before and recommend all our patients join Denplan Care."

Denplan Care provides private dental insurance cover for a monthly fee.

Users of the practice are angry. Ken Lindridge, 80, of Mountnessing Road, Billericay, has been an NHS patient at the surgery for 20 years. He said: "It looks like people are going to have to go private, or go without.

"This has always been an excellent dentists and I was very upset to hear they're only going private. I've paid national insurance all my life, on the understanding my dental needs would always be covered."

Tracy Joujou, 45, mother of five year-old Sammy, moved to Billericay from Canada and is looking for a dentist. She said: "I was going to register here under the NHS, along with my little boy, but it looks like we won't be welcome."

Ruth Osborn, spokesman for South West Essex PCT, which provided NHS funding for the surgery, said: "We were not aware Mr Gaubert had made this decision. We are obviously very concerned about this and will contact him.

"If no agreement can be reached the money we would have paid to Mr Gaubert will go to other NHS surgeries in the Billericay area."

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