NI dentists 'turn backs on NHS'

Many dentists are unhappy with the NHS arrangements

Hundreds of dentists in Northern Ireland are considering walking away from the National Health Service, the British Dental Association has warned.

"They are finding it difficult to make their businesses work under the NHS," Mike Townsend, BDA, said.

"I don't want to over egg the pudding or panic people but certainly a lot of dentists are giving careful consideration to walking away."

Mr Townsend said disadvantaged areas could suffer if the trend continued.

"What frightens me is that those areas that are disadvantaged are going to be very unattractive to dentists to go and work because they are not going to find it is a viable practice," he said.

He said dentists were independent businesses and many were finding it difficult to cover costs with the gross income from the NHS.

The bureaucracy surrounding the business of harvesting that money, also made it unattractive, he said.

About 2,000 dentists walked away from the NHS in England last April, after refusing to sign the new contract.

Up to 1m patients were left without dentists.