Sussex dentist expresses sadness at no longer treating NHS patients

Sami Butt said no longer doing NHS work was "heartbreaking"

A dentist from Sussex has expressed his disappointment at no longer doing NHS work, but says it is no longer feasible to run a business on government funding.

A total of 25 NHS contracts have been handed back across Sussex since 2020.

Patient demand for NHS services in Sussex exceeds the capacity dentists are willing or able to provide, a recent report from NHS Sussex says.

The government said it has invested £3bn each year to deliver dentistry.

NHS Sussex, which is responsible for commissioning NHS dental services, will give an update report to West Sussex County Council later.

The report found areas of deprivation, often with the highest levels of oral health needs, were particularly underserved by dentists.

'It's just heartbreaking'

Dr Sami Butt, from S3 Dental in Haywards Heath, stopped treating NHS patients in April last year after 20 years.

He said it was a "tough decision" but "the scheme was underfunded and it was a terrible contract".

He claimed: "Over the years dentists have tried to make it work but unfortunately, post pandemic, it's just no longer feasible.

"The cost of living crisis has really hit home for a lot of businesses and with the funding the NHS is providing it's just simply not enough to be able to see patients on the NHS."

He added: "It was so sad because some of these patients have been with us since they were children. I've seen them grow up.

"It's just heartbreaking for a lot of us as clinicians."

In 2022, NHS Sussex was one of the first Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to take in responsibility for commissioning primary, secondary and dental services, alongside community pharmacy and optometry services.

But the government manages NHS dental contracts and the funding associated with them.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "Last year 1.7m more adults and about 800,000 more children saw an NHS dentist compared with the previous year, but there is more to do, and the government is working on a dentistry plan with NHS England to make further improvements.

"We invest more than £3bn each year to deliver NHS dentistry, and we have already introduced reforms designed to incentivise practices to deliver more dental care."

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