AS RARE AS HEN'S TEETH

Scottish Government urged to take action as dentists abandon NHS for private patients

- VIVIENNE AITKEN

FEARS have been raised that thousands of NHS patients will be dumped by dentists after one practice alone wiped 1500 clients off their lists overnight.

The Scottish Government was urged to take action "immediately" amid an alarming trend of dentists abandoning the NHS to take in more lucrative private work.

It comes after a report shows Scots are being driven to DIY dentistry because of a dearth of NHS appointments.

Mydentist in Prestwick, Ayrshire, was one of the latest to go private when it dumped 1500 patients.

We previously reported how practices in Dumfriesshire deregistered 20,000 patients while one Edinburgh practice alone deregistered 10,000 patients.

Last night Labour's health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie warned unless the Scottish Government took action thousands more Scots would be left without an NHS dentist.

She said: "Dental practices are closing their NHS lists, some are no longer providing NHS treatment and patients are being left to find a new dentist or fork out if they want to remain there.

"The situation will get worse if some action is not taken immediately. There could easily be thousands of people left without a dentist.

"Part of the blame is the funding framework which has been tinkered with by the Scottish Government rather than reformed.

And she vowed that reforming NHS dentistry would be addressed by her party should they win the next Scottish Parliament elections.