South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has once again called for urgent action from the Scottish Government after it was announced that thousands more patients are set to be de-registered from NHS dental services in Dumfries.

DADDS dental practice in Queensberry Street has closed after a change in ownership.

Under the terms set out within regulations to provide NHS dental services, more than 4000 people currently will be deregistered as NHS patients and will need to be informed in writing by dentist Mr E Svirplis.

The local NHS has confirmed there are no dentists in the region accepting new NHS registrations, meaning patients will either have to look out with the region, or go private.

Colin Smyth said: “This is terrible news but sadly, no-one in our region will be remotely surprised that once again, thousands of people are losing their access to NHS dentistry.

“NHS dentistry in Dumfries and Galloway has been, and remains, in crisis.

“Even more patients in Dumfries will now have to join many others across the region in either having to pay for private care or try to find another dentist that provides NHS care out with the region. It is effectively the privatisation of NHS care in Dumfries and Galloway, which is completely unacceptable.

“I am furious the Scottish Government have failed to wake up to the growing dental crisis.

“The double whammy of the UK Government’s Brexit, which has meant there are almost no EU dentists coming to the UK anymore, and more significantly, the Scottish Government’s failure to properly fund dentists means this isn’t the first practice to remove NHS services and it certainly won’t be the last. I expect many others to follow.

“Both Governments have been warned over and over that this would happen but they have completely ignored those warnings.

“Unless both governments face up to this crisis in our area, it is only a matter of time before no adult in our region has NHS dental care.”