Darnall Dental Clinic Sheffield: Thousands of patients could be axed over funding cuts

Sheffield MP Clive Betts claims Darnall Dental Clinic is facing huge cuts in funding that may result in cutting thousands of patients and staff from the practice due to Government funding concerns.

He said, with dental practices funding NHS patients off non-recurrent funding packages it has become impossible for them to offer long-term and sustainable access for local communities while their funding remains so uncertain.

He said some of those at risk of losing their places had only been taken on over the last year.

Darnall is already one of the worst-affected areas in the region for dental care, and any reduction in services could have a devastating impact on local residents, the MP claimed.

Sheffield MP Clive Betts said: “It is absolutely outrageous that this dental practice, when stepping up to offer dental appointments under the NHS is now having its funding cut.”

Dr Vasileios Orliaklis, the principal dentist at Darnall Dental Clinic, said: "It's important for the public and taxpayers to understand that there are dentists who are still dedicated to providing NHS care and have made significant investments to increase access for patients.

“Our practice invested £466,000 into expanding the services and is now losing £544,000 in funding, along with the opportunity to deliver an additional 6,650 appointments. It's truly maddening.”

Clive Betts MP added: “I have raised this specific case with the Department of Health and am working with the CCG and Dr Orliaklis to get some sustainable funding for their practice so they can serve the people of Darnall.”

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A damning new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed that NHS dentistry faces an uncertain future unless the Government takes urgent steps to support dental professionals and tackle access issues.

The report highlights a significant decline in the number of patients able to access NHS dental services. In total, only around half of the English population was able to secure an NHS dental appointment.

Even lower was the number of people who saw a dentist, with only 40 per cent of adults in England seeing an NHS dentist in the two years to March 2024. This is a sharp drop from 49 per cent in the two years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Betts said: “The PAC report shows at a national level how UK dentistry is in serious distress, but the experience of Darnall Dental Clinic shows what that actually means for communities and patients.”

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The committee criticises the Government’s failure to provide sustainable and long-term funding for NHS dentistry. Many practices are relying on short-term funding packages, making it impossible to plan ahead or guarantee continued care for patients. As a result, communities across the country are losing vital services.

The PAC report urges the Government to provide greater support to the dental workforce and commit to a clear, long-term funding model. Without this, access to NHS dentistry will continue to decline, leaving millions without the care they need.

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