The decision by two local dentists to stop providing services on the NHS has been condemned.

As reported by the Western Telegraph last week, the {My} Dentist practices at Hendy-Gwyn in Whitland and Quay Street in Haverfordwest will not be providing NHS dental care from December 1.

Both practices have returned their General Dental Services contracts to the health board.

Until November 30 they will provide any urgent care which patients require, and any treatment started before that date will be completed.

The news has been slammed by local Senedd Member Paul Davies.

“It’s deeply disappointing to see more dental practices handing back their NHS contracts to the local health board and I know this will be a blow for patients,” he said.

“Access to NHS dental services has long been a problem in Pembrokeshire and yet, when challenged, the First Minister simply won’t acknowledge the severity of the problem and instead maintains the view that thousands more NHS dental appointments have been made available.

“I continue to receive a significant amount of correspondence from people across Pembrokeshire regarding dental services.

“Many are living in discomfort and pain and it’s simply not good enough.

“The Welsh Government and Hywel Dda University Health Board need to recognise that this is a crisis and redouble their efforts to attract dentists providing NHS care to the area.”

He added that the news came as a particular shock, given that the First Minister has said that over 17,000 more patients are receiving NHS dental care in the Hywel Dda Health Board area and that the Welsh Government has made extra investment to ensure more people can access NHS dental services.