Bupa Dental Care is set to cut 85 dental practices - with two in Nottinghamshire facing an uncertain future - amid a national shortage of dentists and “systemic” challenges across the industry, in a move that will affect 1,200 staff across the UK. The healthcare group said patients at the affected practices have not been able to access the NHS dental service they need.
Bupa, which provides NHS and private dental care, said the 85 practices will be closed, sold or merged later this year, bringing the total number of practices in the UK down to 365. Two affected include practices in Hucknall and Sutton-in-Ashfield. All the practices will remain open as usual in the meantime. The move will affect 1,200 employed and self-employed staff, representing more than a tenth of its 9,000-strong workforce.
Bupa said it would redeploy affected staff where possible to different areas of the business. The provider has not been able to recruit enough dentists to deliver NHS care in many practices for months and in some cases years, it said, Bristol Live reports.
