BUPA Dental Care York Facility
The petition of residents of York and North Yorkshire,
Declares that the closure of BUPA Dental Care York facility on 30 June 2023 at 5 Station Business Park, Holgate Park Drive, will affect the dental care of 6,200 patients including 4,200 NHS patients which receive an excellent level of dental care in a friendly and supportive environment; further notes that this closure has been met with opposition by the residents of the area; further notes that current waiting lists for NHS dentistry in York have risen to 7 years.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to call on BUPA to stop the closure of the BUPA Dental Care York facility and provide adequate dental care to residents in the area.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Rachael Maskell, Official Report, 22 June 2023; Vol. 734, c. 1039.]
[P002840]
Observations from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Neil O’Brien):
The National Health Service (NHS) contracts with independent dental providers, such as Bupa, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. Bupa provided NHS England with notice of closures in accordance with the terms of their contractual agreement.
Following Bupa’s notice of closures, NHS England and integrated care boards across England worked with Bupa to ensure that patients continue to have access to NHS dental care. Commissioners have worked closely with all affected practices, who were required to use their best endeavours to complete patients’ treatments prior to close-down.
On the 6 and 15 June, as the Minister responsible for primary care and public health, I met representatives from the North Yorkshire and Humber integrated commissioning board and my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Julian Sturdy) to discuss specific arrangements for York following the closure of Bupa Dental Care York facility on 30 June. They have been able to reallocate contracted provision to other local practices and continue to work on ensuring good levels of access for the area.
The Government are grateful for the services provided to NHS dental patients by Bupa Dental Care in York, and also acknowledge the challenges that people are still facing in accessing an NHS dentist in areas such as York.
The Government are taking significant steps to improve access for dental patients across the country. We will shortly be publishing a plan to outline reforms aimed at making NHS dental work more attractive to dental practices and improving access particularly for new patients. This will build upon the package of reforms we introduced last summer and the long term workforce plan for the NHS which was published on 30 June.
NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. Patients can approach any NHS dental practice and request care regardless of geographical location. If a patient’s dental condition changes or deteriorates, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.