Health / Up to 6,000 NHS patients could lose registration with Lerwick Dental Practice
Independent practice model has failed to meet the level of care needed locally – Wishart
NHS SHETLAND has moved to give assurances that emergency dental care will be available from the health board for the 2,000 islanders currently in the process of being de-registered as NHS patients by Lerwick Dental Practice.
In a statement this morning (Thursday) the health board also confirmed that all affected patients will be added to the NHS waiting list for dental registration.
This is going to be done under the Public Dental Health (PDS) safe net provision.
A further 4,000 patients are likely to lose their registration as NHS patients by summer of next year should Lerwick Dental Practice go ahead with a threat made in a social media post on Friday.
Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart said the development showed that that the independent practice model where practices operate as private businesses and take on NHS patients along with private patients, has failed to provide the level of NHS service that meets the needs of the local community.
“NHS Shetland has clarified that it will provide emergency dental care until another solution is found,” she said. “I doubt though that the 2,000 patients due to be de-registered in February, with another 4,000 de-registrations possibly in the summer, will find this prospect reassuring.
“Dentistry is not a ‘bolt on’ or ‘nice to have’ service but an important part of routine health care.
“It is important that all those involved in these decisions now come together to seek an early solution.”
The Market Street practice publicly criticised NHS Shetland director of dentistry Antony Visocchi and called for him to be replaced.
Should that not happen, the practice, which is managed from Dyce Dental Practice in Aberdeen, said it would have “no other option but to re-register all NHS patients by June 2025”.
Earlier this month the practice also announced in a Facebook post that it was unable to accept any new NHS patients.
NHS Shetland did not respond to the criticism directed at Dr Visocchi but came out strongly defending the role of the director in the relationship between the health board and independent practices.
NHS Shetland said: “In recent days we have had really productive discussions with the Scottish Government about the current situation and also with regard to planning for the further deregistration of NHS patients Lerwick Dental Practice has indicated will happen in 2025.”
The health board continued by saying that it had no responsibility for the decision making of independent NHS dental providers.
It added that in managing the relationship between Scottish health boards and independent providers, the director of dentistry plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving a population’s dental care.
The director bears the responsibility for ensuring all dental services provided under the NHS meet the essential benchmarks of patient safety, professional standards and compliance with regulatory frameworks, NHS Shetland added.
Director of community health and social care Jo Robinson said: “As a senior NHS Shetland leader, the director of dentistry role lies in clinical governance, where they ensure that robust systems are in place to monitor and improve the quality of care provided.
“They review and address patient feedback, incidents, and reports from the ombudsman, all while supporting, and overseeing, dental teams in their commitment to clinical excellence.
“Their leadership ensures that high standards are consistently met by all service providers and those working within them. This ensures that patient safety and service quality are maximised for people in our community accessing dental services.”
Last September, NHS Shetland approved a new oral health strategy which aims to enhance and expand the NHS public dental service provision across the isles.
Access to dental treatment has been very poor in Shetland for many years. Health board figures show that the dental workforce would need to double in the isles just to reach the same level as the national average.
The strategy puts NHS Shetland on a course of returning dental provision to a service directly managed by the health board.
In the first phase of the strategy the health board had aimed to recruit 3.3 whole time equivalent dentists.
On Thursday, the health board said it remained committed to working in partnership with all stakeholders to deliver the three year oral strategy, and would continue to prioritise the health and wellbeing of patients in the Shetland community.
Lerwick Dental Practice has been contacted for comment.
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