Delay for dental practice re-opening

DENTAL patients in Shetland are to be left in limbo for up to two months after NHS Shetland’s plans to take over a local practice were delayed.

Lerwick’s independent St Olaf Street practice closed on Friday when its owner Alan Owen retired.

NHS Shetland had agreed to take over the practice and employ all the remaining staff, re-opening at the beginning of October.

However this week it emerged the practice’s 5,000 patients might have to wait an extra month, after all the dental equipment was sold to a rival bidder.

NHS Shetland told Lerwick community council on Monday night about the delay and brought the matter up at its monthly board meeting on Tuesday.

Chief executive Ralph Roberts said it would take two to four weeks to install new equipment in Lerwick. “We are going to move that forwards as quickly as possible and as soon as we have more information we will be contacting patients,” he said.

The St Olaf Street practice manager Michelle Owen said the NHS had only made an offer for the equipment the day before it was due to close, and they had been offered a greater sum by private practitioner David Lubbe, from the Toll Clock dental practice.