Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has slammed the response of both the Welsh Government and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to the dentistry crisis in North Wales, as yet another dentist terminates its NHS contract.
Today it has been announced that the contractors of Rhos Road Dental Practice, which is based on 55 Rhos Road, Rhos on Sea, have advised the Health Board of their intention to terminate their NHS General Dental Services contract, effective from 31st March 2025. The practice will continue to provide dental services on a private basis after this date.
In recent years, Darren has seen a number of NHS dental practices his constituency close and has repeatedly called on Ministers in Cardiff Bay to take action.
On Friday Darren had a meeting with the Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Carol Shillabeer, at which he raised the lack of developments with access to dentistry in North Wales. He is disappointed that no mention was made of the proposed changes at Rhos on Sea Dental Practice.
He said:
“This is yet another blow to dentistry in North Wales where in recent years we have seen practice after practice terminating their NHS contract.
“I have repeatedly raised it with Ministers in Cardiff Bay, in fact only two weeks ago, speaking in the Senedd, I said that finding an NHS dentist in Wales is like searching for a needle in a haystack and urged the Welsh Government to address the crisis.
“I raised it again at my meeting with the Chief Executive on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board on Friday, where there was sadly no mention of this latest loss to patients in North Wales.
“As I have said time and time again, NHS dentistry is North Wales is in a shocking state and it is not right that people are being forced to travel outside of Wales, and even to Eastern Europe for treatment.
“When I first became a Member of this Senedd, 17 years ago, most people in my constituency were able to get six monthly check-ups at a dentist, but a great many have no hope of that these days.
“As I recently raised in the Senedd, without access to NHS dentistry people are not being checked for things like mouth cancers, and also young people are experiencing excessively long waits for orthodontic treatment.
“Today’s news regarding Rhos on Sea practice means there will be thousands of more people now without an NHS dentist. The Welsh Government and Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board response to the dental crisis is totally inadequate. I will be raising this again with Cabinet Secretary for Health and calling for urgent action.”
NHS Patients of Rhos on Sea Dental Practice are being recommended to contact alternative practices periodically, to ask if they can be added to their NHS waiting list.
Patients can find a list of practices and contact details on the Health Board’s website: General Dental Services - Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (nhs.wales)
Patients finding themselves in urgent need of a dentist and who have been unable to locate a practice that can accommodate them should contact NHS 111 Wales by telephoning 111. An NHS 111 Wales call handler will triage their call and, if appropriate, direct them into an urgent access session provided by the Health Board’s Emergency Dental Service.
