Even children denied NHS dental care (From Western Telegraph)

Even children denied NHS dental care

A FATHER is outraged after he discovered he'll have to pay £50 for his two sons to be treated at a Pembroke Dock dental practice.

Keith McNiffe received a reminder from the Queen's Street surgery to say his two sons, 14-year-old Daniel and 16-year-old Stuart, were due for a check-up.

"But when I 'phoned up to book the appointment, I discovered that the practice was going private on April 1st and the children were no longer treated under the NHS," he said.

"If I wanted them to be seen it would cost me £25 for each of them to get treatment."

The Pembroke Town Councillor, who is registered disabled and cannot afford to pay for his children to be seen, said he thought it was disgraceful that children were being turned away.

But dentist, Mr Jaakola, said his decision was simply because he could not no longer afford to practice within the NHS.

He added that letters notifying patients of the change should have been sent out by the National Health Board.

Currently there is no facility within the health service system for dentists to ask patients for a supplementary fee in addition to that which they receive for any particular treatment.

So if the fee they receive for providing a filling does not meet the cost of running the surgery, then they cannot ask for more money from the patient to cover the balance.

"The general dental service to date has depended upon the good will of the profession," a dental insider said.

"There's little debate that the actions of successive governments have stretched that good will to breaking point."