The news that a further 5000 adult patients are to be de-registered from an NHS dental service in Dumfries has highlighted the inadequacy of the UK and Scottish Governments response to the NHS crisis in the region, according to South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth.

Blue Door Dental Practice had previously giving three months’ notice to over 5000 patients that they would be de-registered as of March 1 2023 and have now written to this further group of adult NHS patients notifying them that they will be de-registered as of June 1 2023

This is the latest blow to NHS dentistry in the region which has seen patients in Dumfries, Annan, Castle Douglas, Thornhill and Gretna de-registered from NHS dentists.

Colin Smyth said: “More and more dentists are deregistering NHS patients and the very future of NHS dental care in the region is now hanging by a thread. This latest blow for patients in Dumfries highlights the inadequacy of our Governments’ response to this crisis. They have no ideas or plans to stop what is the privatisation of NHS dentistry in our region.

“The double whammy of the UK Government’s Brexit, which has meant there are almost no EU dentists coming to the UK and the Scottish Government’s failure to properly fund dentists means I fully expect more dental practices to follow.

“Both Governments have been warned this would happen but have failed to take adequate action. Unless they wake up to the crisis, I fear no adult in our area will have an NHS dentist.”