A community has come together to hold a protest every Thursday in hope of saving a dental practice. Bupa Dental Care in St Pauls is set to close on June 30, leaving thousands of patients without access to NHS dental care.
They say they have contacted the Integrated Care Board (ICB) which is responsible for dental provision, but that many patients have not yet been offered any alternative local dentist that accepts NHS patients. A resident-led campaign has received support from the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who met with campaigners at the Malcolm X Centre this weekend.
Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire has also said that she has spoken to local health leaders, who are making additional emergency appointments, and she has urged the Health Secretary Steve Barclay to intervene. The ICB said it is working hard to improve the situation for residents’, but Cllr Cole does not feel those in power are listening.
READ MORE: Protest at Bristol dental practice as NHS patients say closure would be 'devastating'
Cllr Cole, who has helped organise protests outside the practice on Ashley Road, said: “It's devastating. It's not okay to shut our practice, leaving thousands of patients with no alternative.
“Every avenue we have turned to leads to a dead end. No one in the right places is listening or cares.
“We have a functioning practice and three dentists are willing to stay and deliver treatment to NHS patients. That's half the battle, we just need help to join up the dots, yet no one is taking responsibility to solve this problem.
“It is really frustrating. What we're seeing here is another step towards the privatisation of the NHS, a system where corporate companies control who is treated, who lives, or dies.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the now independent Islington MP, met with campaigners after speaking at an event at The Malcolm X Community Centre. He said: “It’s a pleasure while I’ve been here to support the Ashley Road Dentistry campaign, there are dentists working there who want to work there, be part of the NHS. But instead there’s a danger with that practice closing that they’ll be no NHS dentists available for people in the area.
“Dentistry is really dropping off of the NHS completely; it was the first thing to be charged for in the NHS. Charges were introduced in [1951 for dentures] and optical tests because the government wanted to spend money on going to war in Korea.
“We now have a terrible situation with wholesale privatisation of services within the NHS and the NHS is spending more and more money on private doctors, private healthcare and private services. What we need is a publicly owned, publicly funded, publicly run NHS and a national care service so that people get properly cared for. So let's win on dentistry on Ashley Road and win on the NHS.”
'No dentists accepting new NHS patients'
Thangam Debbonaire MP, Labour MP for Bristol West and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, is also concerned by the state of dental provision. She said: “Under the Tories, net government spend on general dental practices has been cut by over a third. As a result, there appear to be no dentists in Bristol West accepting new NHS patients.
“With respect to the clinic in St Paul’s, I was informed that the process is underway to find a new service provider for the site. I’ve spoken with local health leaders and was pleased to learn additional emergency appointments are also being made available to help those without an NHS dentist.
“This is clearly not a long-term solution. The real problem lies with the government. I’ve therefore raised my concerns directly with the Health Secretary and urged him to intervene and address the crisis in Bristol’s dental services.
“The next Labour government will secure the future of NHS dentistry, providing the staff, equipment and modern technology needed to ensure patients get the treatment they need.”
'We are aware this is challenging'
A Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB spokesperson said: “We are aware that access to NHS dentistry in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire is challenging and we are working hard to try and improve the situation for residents.
“This includes working with local dental clinicians, their representatives and partners, as part of the wider South West Dental Reform programme, to offer practical support to help dental practices take on more NHS dentistry in the area.
Bupa Dental Care and the Department of Health and Social Care were approached for further comment following the campaign. Mark Allan, general manager for Bupa Dental Care, has previously said: "Despite our continued efforts, the dental industry is facing a number of significant and systemic challenges that are placing additional pressure on providing patient care, in particular recruiting dentists to deliver NHS dental care.
"This decision [to close some practices] enables us to focus our efforts on high-quality, continued sustainable care for patients across our wider portfolio."
The protests will be staged on Thursdays at 3.30pm outside the surgery. You can sign the petition here.
