Fife patients left to find another dentist as surgery set to close scraps transfer plan

Clyde Munro Dental Group has revealed that a dentist at its Glenrothes practice, Nanodent, has resigned from his health board contract - and all efforts to recruit have failed. Patients who had previously been told they would be transferred to the company’s surgery in Leven as part of the “extended closure” of the Glenrothes facility, have now been informed they will have to find their own alternative dentist - at a time when the service in Fife is facing major problems.

Glasgow-based Clyde Munro, which runs both practices, has written to patients to give them the update, but they have been urged to “redouble” its recruitment efforts by Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife. He also wants NHS Fife to step in with support.

The company said it took the decision with “sincere regret” after a major effort to recruit a dentist. In its letter, the company said: “The dentist with whom you are registered has resigned his contract with the health board.

“Despite great efforts, including recruiting internationally, we have been unable to recruit a successor for him at Nanodent or at Banbeath. Contrary to what was stated previously, your registration will not be transferred to Banbeath and you will have to find another dentist in an alternative dental practice.”

It added: “We do understand that finding an alternative dentist in Fife will be extremely difficult. We have done everything we can to support and sustain the Nanodent Dental Practice, but all our attempts to recruit dentists has made it impossible to keep the practice open at present. If the recruitment problem is resolved, we will reopen the practice and advertise the reopening widely.”

Mr Rennie called on the Scottish Government to”accept the scale of the problems” within NHS dentistry.

He added: “I know patients will be greatly concerned by this news. The prospect of finding a new dentist is daunting when so many practices have stopped taking on new NHS registrations. I have heard from hundreds of people in recent months who are unable to get the care they need or have to pay a small fortune.

“The closure of Nanodent could mean that even more people are put in this position. The practice’s owner needs to redouble its efforts to recruit the necessary staff to deliver care. NHS Fife should also provide whatever support it can to support those affected.

“The Scottish Government needs to accept the scale of the problems in NHS dentistry. They need to bring in a fee system which reflects dentists’ true costs, to raise the cap on student dentists, and to speed up the registration process for overseas dentists.”