Bupa Dental Care to cut 85 practices amid UK dentist shortage
Bupa Dental Care is to cut 85 dental practices this year in a move that will affect 1,200 staff across the UK, amid a national shortage of dentists and “systemic” challenges across the industry.
The private healthcare group said patients at the affected practices had not been able to access the NHS dental service they need.
The provider, which provides private and NHS dental care, has not been able to recruit enough dentists for NHS care in many practices for months and in some cases years, it said.
Bupa 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. 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 10th of its 9,000-strong workforce. Bupa said it would redeploy affected staff where possible to different areas of the business.
Bupa said national shortages of dentists have been worsened by the NHS contract model, and because of an increased demand and complexity of care since the start of the Covid pandemic.
The industry has also been affected by inflation and higher energy prices, increasing the cost to run patient services.
Mark Allan, the 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.”
Bupa said it would be giving back the dental contract to the NHS for
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