Bupa set to close Corby dental practice - and Wellingborough site is 'under review'

Thousands more patients in the county could be left without a dentist after Bupa announced plans to close its Corby practice.

The Butland Road dental care site, on the Oakley Vale estate, is one of 85 which the health group has announced is earmarked for closure.

And the provider has also confirmed that the future of its Wellingborough practice, in Irthlingborough Road, is ‘under review’.

Across the country the move affects about half-a-million patients and could affect 1,200 jobs.

The 85 practices on the closure list are set to either be sold later this year. They will remain open in the meantime.

The dental care provider has blamed a shortage of dentists for the closures.

Bupa confirmed that contracts for the practices that are on the list will be handed back to the NHS. This means that commissioners will be able to hand them back out in the hopes a new provider can be found.

Mark Allan, general manager for Bupa Dental Care, said: “As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need.

“For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.”

Mr Allan added: “We fully understand the impact today’s decision has on our patients and our people within these practices. This decision has not been taken lightly and closure is a last resort.

“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.”

The British Dental Association previously warned that NHS dental industry 'is running out of road' and called on the Government to commit to reforming the 'broken' service.

Last year we reported that Northamptonshire was a ‘dental desert’, with figures revealing that fewer than 40 per cent of adults had been seen by a dentist in the last two years. The county was in the top 20 worst affected areas in England.