DENTISTS

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When Taranjit Badh took over The Surgeries dental practice, in Osmaston Road, he said he had no intention of going private. Just 14 months later, however, he has sent a letter to his patients saying that he is switching from National Health Service care to an independent system supported by Denplan, a national dental health care company.

In April 2005, Mr Badh was in talks with dentists Barry Austin and Connie Hudson over a possible takeover. At that time, he said, "I plan to be totally loyal to the National Health Service. The word private does not enter my head. There would have to be a fundamental shift in my ideology for me to go private."

But now he says, "My alternative was to leave dentistry altogether. I want to do my best for patients and be proud of the work I do for them. When I took this practice on, I intended to stay with the NHS. I was young and keen but I feel let down by the system and by politicians." More than 4,000 patients are treated at Mr Badh's practice, which is now called Bright Smiles.

About 85% of NHS patients already pay for treatment and the cost under Denplan would depend on the sort of treatment the patient required but most people would pay between £10.50 and £16.95 a month. A spokeswoman for Derby City Primary Care Trust said, "We very much regret the position taken by Bright Smiles dental practice." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Oct/06)

Allenton Dental Care, in Chellaston Road, will no longer accept NHS patients because "ever increasingly costs" have made it "increasingly difficult" for the practice to maintain its services under the NHS. Existing patients will be invited to go private, but those who can't afford to pay will have to leave.

The nearest NHS dental surgery taking on patients is Cavendish Dental Practice in Derby Lane, Normanton, which is nearly 2 miles away. The practice's principal dentist, Sanjoy Rakshit, said in a statement, "We have remained steadfastly loyal to the NHS but the Government has not kept abreast of funding costs and development in dental techniques. Therefore we have followed other dentists in the area and chosen to offer our patients a private alternative."

The future of a Derby city centre NHS dental practice looks in safe hands with a dentist committed to the National Health Service poised to take over. Taranjit Badh is in talks with dentists Barry Austin and Connie Hudson over his proposed takeover of the 4,000-patient The Surgeries dental practice in Osmaston Road, which Mr Austin has run for the past 37 years. Mr Badh said both Mr Austin and Ms Hudson were now retiring. The 29-year-old currently works for the Community Dental Service in Mill Hill Road, which provides NHS care for children and adults with special needs, and now wants to buy his own practice.

Legal contracts have yet to be exchanged between the two parties, but Mr Badh is likely to take over in July. The practice's existing patients are being told about the possible change. Mr Badh, of Lakeside Drive, Littleover, said, "I plan to be totally loyal to the National Health Service. The word private does not enter my head. There would have to be a fundamental shift in my ideology for me to go private. I just want a happy life for me and my family. I just want to be able to afford my Derby County season ticket, a nice holiday each year, and to get on with people and help the community."

He said he could not reveal what he is paying for the practice, but the deal is thought to be worth in the region of £300,000. Mr Austin said, "We're in the process of letting our patients know that there's possibly going to be a change. But even now we can't tell them who might take over because nothing has been actually signed." He refused to say what would happen to the practice's existing staff under the deal or how many of its patients were NHS, other than to say it was "mostly" NHS. The practice will not be taking on any more NHS patients at the moment.

The plan follows the decision of another NHS dental practice, Allenton Dental Care in Chellaston Road, to go private, with the loss of hundreds of NHS dental places, and four other dental practices in the city closing their lists to NHS patients over the last year. Allenton Dental Care, which is run by principal dentist Sanjoy Rakshit, cited "ever-increasing costs" as among its reasons for going private. A spokeswoman for Greater and Central Derby Primary Care Trusts, which run GP services, said, "We're delighted that The Surgeries practice is expected to continue to offer NHS treatment for patients." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

A new system of charging for NHS dental treatment could mean a rise in treatment costs for check-ups and fillings. The new system would replace the current fee per item of service, branded the "treadmill" by dentists, under which dentists are paid for each piece of work done on a patient.

People with healthy teeth face higher dental charges to fund cheap care for patients with problems. An NHS check-up will cost £12 instead of £5.64 under plans being considered by the Government. A fee of £40 would be charged for one or more fillings. A filling currently costs £15.

And people with healthy teeth could be told to see a dentist once every 18 months rather than six-monthly but people needing major treatment, such as bridges, would pay a maximum of £120 instead of £378. The shake-up aims to slash red tape by introducing three flat rates, £12, £40 and £120 instead of 400 different charges.

The rises are intended to simplify the pricing structure into several flat rates rather than the hundreds of different charges that exist at present. This is part of a major overhaul to dentistry. From April 2005, the dental budget currently held by central government will be given to local primary care trusts.

A British Dental Association spokeswoman said, "At present, dentists are faced with a 90-page schedule of over 400 separate dental charges. Any new system that allows dentists to spend more time with patients, as well as making the system easier to understand for dentists and patients alike, is welcomed by the BDA."

Mr Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said, "These proposals are yet another kick in the teeth for dental patients. This hike in charges will further set back the dental health of the nation. The real problem is the chronic shortage of NHS dentists. Finding an NHS dentist is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Now it seems that those lucky enough to find an NHS dentist will have to pay more for the privilege of doing so."

Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, said, "The Prime Minster promised that everyone who wanted a dentist by the end of 2001 would get one. Over half the population now are not registered with an NHS dentist at all and Labour's only answer is to raise the charges for those who do. The Government's policy on dentistry has been nothing short of a disaster."

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