News

Changes to NHS dental care at the practice

25th September 2023

Dear Patient

RE: Changes to our dental care

I am writing to share important news about our dental services. At Carriage Works Lostwithiel Dental Practice, we are making changes to better serve our community.

We are committed to providing excellent dental care through the NHS. However, there are challenges. There is a mix of not enough funding, fewer dentists willing to provide NHS care, and increased costs. Also, we face strict targets that affect our finances.

To address these issues, we are partnering with NHS England and the local Integrated Care Board. Our practice in Lostwithiel is part of a pilot project aiming to:

  1. Ease the pressure on emergency services: We will provide quicker dental care to reduce pressure on hospitals and clinics.
  2. Tackle health inequalities: We will focus on groups most needing dental care.
  3. Increase access for emergencies: We will prioritise patients with urgent dental needs.
  4. Help dentists earn fairly: Dentists have seen their income drop, and we want to change that.
  5. Improve the current dental payment system: We are looking at how the system treats high needs patients.

Data from the pilot project may influence changes to dental care contracts.

The aim of this pilot is to focus our NHS services on:

  1. Children under 18.
  2. Patients over 80, without complex dental restorations such as dental implants.
  3. Patients with medical conditions that may impact on their ability to maintain their dental health.
  4. Patients on the NHS waiting list and referred patients who need urgent care.

If you do not fall into these groups, we encourage you to consider joining us on a private basis for regular dental care. You will shortly receive a further letter to explain in more detail these options:

  1. Join our Practice Plan for affordable check-ups and treatments.
  2. Use our Pay as You Go service for treatment fees.

We understand that everyone has different needs, and our team is here to help you make the right choice.

After you have received the next letter, we will be happy to answer any queries you may have. Please use the email address: nhschanges@carriageworksdental.co.uk as this will help to keep the phone lines available for those who need them. We kindly ask that you await the next letter before making contact, should you need to.

Patients falling within the above groups will be contacted by us in due course, there is no need to contact the practice at this time.

It is our hope that these changes will enable us to continue providing NHS dental services and to focus them on the people with the greatest need. If you have questions, you may also look at the FAQs on our website for more detail.

Whilst we know that for many patients using our limited NHS capacity in this way will not be welcome news, we hope to have your understanding as we try our very best in a difficult situation.

Thank you for being part of our dental community.

Best wishes

Finley Bason

Principal Dentist/Practice Owner