News / Dental crisis looms
THE CHRONIC crisis in dental care provision in Shetland could further intensify should NHS Shetland be unable to quickly secure capital funding to extend the Montfield Dental Unit, in Lerwick.
It emerged this week that independent dentist Allan Owen is to retire for health reasons in early September with the business based at the St Olaf Street premises now up for sale.
The Owens said they had a Swedish couple, both dentists, interested in buying the business, but a deal would ultimately hinge on the progress made with the planned extension and upgrade of the health boards Montfield premises.
The NHS Shetland strategy to attract new dentists to the isles is to provide new and attractive premises in the hope that an independent practice would relocate to Shetland to run it.
On Thursday, it appeared as though the Owen’s deal was to fall through because of the lack of capital funding to go ahead with the planned extension to Montfield.
But on Friday, the health board’s director for clinical services, Simon Boker-Ingram, insisted that the work was not on hold, but simply delayed until negotiations over capital funding with the Scottish Government and a local investment company could be completed.
He said that if money becomes available, building work could start almost immediately to have the unit’s capacity increased from four dental chairs to nine or ten by as early as spring next year.
Mr Boker-Ingram said: “The extension to Montfield is delayed by a few months, but it is not that it is gone or scuppered.
“The situation is that we need to secure the capital funding; we hope to be able to do that shortly, and in which case we then could push ahead with the project.”
He added that once Montfield was completed the local NHS board would be in a much better position to attract new dentists to the isles.
“It has always been our thinking that if we have additional and attractive premises we could attract independent dentists to Shetland.
“The reality is that it is unlikely that an independent practice will come up here and spend a lot of money buying their own premises, and then advertise for patients,” he said.
Michelle Owen said she was “stunned” to hear of the development, as she and her husband had always been told that “there was no money” for Montfield.
“The most important thing for Allan is peace of mind when he retires. If he knows that his patients have got dental care when he retires, that will make him a very happy man, as this is the most important thing for him,” she said.
She added that it was now important for the health board to consult with the potential buyer as to the layout and facilities provided at Montfield.
Mr Boker-Ingram said that setting up a new dental practice in the isles would be a good business opportunity but it should not be dependent on what premises the NHS can or cannot provide.
But referring to the Owens he added: “It can’t be part of selling existing premises. You can’t, as an independent dentist, get a price predicated on what the NHS is building. That is wrong.”
There are currently 16 dentists – including independent, NHS salaried and locums – working across the isles.
Seventy per cent of the local population are currently registered with a dentist, a figure that is close to the Scottish average.
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