 Hundreds of people queued for a dentist in Carlisle last year |
Patients at a third dental practice in Carlisle have been told their dentist is leaving the NHS. Letters arrived on Thursday to patients of Westhouse Dental Centre on Scotland Road, informing them of the decision to become a private practice.
The move adds to the city's dental crisis after two other practices, serving around 21,000 adults, said in November they were going private.
A recruitment drive is under way to tackle a shortage of Cumbrian dentists.
Recruitment drive
The Scotland Road practice has told its adult patients that they will now have to sign up for one of a number of private payment schemes.
Anyone who wants to continue to get NHS dental services locally must register with the PCT.
The letter cites changes to NHS dental services as one of the reasons for the decision.
A spokesman for the North Cumbria Primary Care Trusts said it was disappointed the practice did not enter into discussions before deciding to go private.
The Trust launched a recruitment drive last month to tackle a shortage of dentists in Cumbria.
An advert appealing for dentists who can set up practice "quickly" in Penrith and Carlisle was placed in the British Dental Journal.
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