Bupa has blamed a dearth of dentists and rising running costs as it is slashing dental services by closing, merging or selling 85 dental practices across the country.
Announcing the move, Bupa Dental Care blamed a lack of dentists to deliver NHS care in the UK and increased running costs caused by inflation and high energy prices.
These factors were cited when Bupa posted a £427m loss in 2022, reversing a £423m profit in 2021, driven by a £646m write-down in the UK dental operation as it struggled with workforce recruitment and retention and inflation.
In its statement, Bupa said that despite significant investment by its dental care operation, it had been unable to recruit enough dentists to deliver NHS care in many practices for “months, and in some cases, years”.
It attributed this is due to the industry-wide challenges of the NHS contract model, and increased demand and complexity of care since the pandemic.
All of which has meant patients at these practices have not been able to access the NHS dental services they need, it added.
The company said its focus was for patients to receive the NHS care they needed and deserved, and it committed to providing resources to help patients find alternative local providers.
However, research by the BBC last year found 90% of practices across the UK were not accepting new adult NHS patients and the Health and Social Care Committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into the NHS dental contract.
Bupa will be writing to all affected patients to explain what is happening and how this may affect them and added it aims to complete all ongoing treatment before the changes take place.
For practices set to close, Bupa will be handing back the dental contract to the NHS, which will allow commissioners to procure a new provider so patients can be provided with a better opportunity to continue access to NHS dental services, it said.
Bupa also committed to fully supporting its people through the change, adding it would be redeploying affected employees where possible to continue their careers with it.
It expects to complete the planned closures by summer 2023.
Bupa also said it remains fully committed to the UK dental market and provision of NHS services, and all of its dental practices across the UK and Ireland are open as usual.
Decision not taken lightly
Mark Allan, general manager for Bupa Dental Care, said: “As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need.
“For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.
“We fully understand the impact today’s decision has on our patients and our people within these practices. This decision has not been taken lightly and closure is a last resort.
“Despite our continued efforts, the dental industry is facing a number of significant and systemic challenges that are placing additional pressure on providing patient care, in particular recruiting dentists to deliver NHS dental care.
“This decision enables us to focus our efforts on high-quality, continued sustainable care for patients across our wider portfolio.”
Practices set to be merged or closed include:
Bupa Dental Care 590 Hull Holderness Road
Bupa Dental Care Barrow in Furness
Bupa Dental Care Bishop Auckland – Market Place
Bupa Dental Care Blackpool Station Road
Bupa Dental Care Bolsover
Bupa Dental Care Brandon
Bupa Dental Care Bristol – St Pauls
Bupa Dental Care Cleveleys
Bupa Dental Care Eye
Bupa Dental Care Folkestone
Bupa Dental Care Gloucester
Bupa Dental Care Harleston
Bupa Dental Care Holborn
Bupa Dental Care Leckhampton
Bupa Dental Care Leslie
Bupa Dental Care Manchester Square
Bupa Dental Care Mintlaw
Bupa Dental Care Oakley Vale
Bupa Dental Care Omagh Campsie Road
Bupa Dental Care Pontefract
Bupa Dental Care Poole
Bupa Dental Care Ripon
Bupa Dental Care Rochdale
Bupa Dental Care Shildon
Bupa Dental Care Skegness
Bupa Dental Care Southport
Bupa Dental Care Stockton
Bupa Dental Care Sturry
Bupa Dental Care Sunderland
Bupa Dental Care Tewkesbury
Bupa Dental Care Thames Ditton
Bupa Dental Care Waterlooville
Bupa Dental Care Wolverhampton
Bupa Dental Care York
Connaught Village Dentistry
Manchester Cheadle Dental and Implant Clinic
White Dental
Total Orthodontics Camberley
Total Orthdontics Downpatrick
Total Orthodontics Marlow
Total Orthodontics Wokingham
Practices Bupa plans to sell include:
Bupa Dental Care Addlestone
Bupa Dental Care Ashton-in-Makerfield
Bupa Dental Care Boston
Bupa Dental Care Brampton
Bupa Dental Care Burton on Trent
Bupa Dental Care Cove Bay
Bupa Dental Care Crewkerne
Bupa Dental Care Denbigh
Bupa Dental Care Egremont
Bupa Dental Care Erdington
Bupa Dental Care Evington
Bupa Dental Care Hereford
Bupa Dental Care Hucknall
Bupa Dental Care Kendal
Bupa Dental Care Keswick
Bupa Dental Care Kingseat
Bupa Dental Care Liskeard
Bupa Dental Care Lydney
Bupa Dental Care Marden
Bupa Dental Care Maryport
Bupa Dental Care Netherfield
Bupa Dental Care Newport Shropshire
Bupa Dental Care North Lakeland
Bupa Dental Care North Walsham
Bupa Dental Care Penge
Bupa Dental Care Penrhyn
Bupa Dental Care Plymouth
Bupa Dental Care Preston
Bupa Dental Care Redditch
Bupa Dental Care Rhyl
Bupa Dental Care Rise Park
Bupa Dental Care Rustington
Bupa Dental Care Ryde
Bupa Dental Care Seaford
Bupa Dental Care Sleaford
Bupa Dental Care Stroud
Bupa Dental Care Sutton-in-Ashfield
Bupa Dental Care Wellingborough
Bupa Dental Care Woolston
Bupa Dental Care Worcester City
Metamorphosis Orthodontics
Wrexham Dental Implant Clinic
Total Orthodontics Colwyn Bay
Total Orthodontics Wigan