PATIENTS at a Basingstoke dentist surgery have been told it is stopping NHS services from May, forcing them to fork out for private care or lose their place at the surgery.

Chequers Dental Practice has been providing NHS care for more than 40 years but has now decided to offer only private care.

The decision could leave patients without an NHS dentist because many in Basingstoke are not taking on new NHS patients.

READ MORE: NHS dentists in Basingstoke facing huge backlog of patients

Of the 22 dentist surgeries listed in Basingstoke and Deane, none state they are taking on new NHS patients, according to details on the NHS dentist finder website.

As reported last year, data from NHS England showed that the Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) saw a reduction in 49 NHS dentists in 2020-21, representing a six per cent decrease.

A letter sent to patients at Chequers Dental Practice from Dr Milad Shadrooh, said it had made the “difficult decision to cease providing NHS dental care”.

The dentist, known in the media as the Singing Dentist for his songs promoting oral health in an entertaining way, added: “This has been a very tough decision for the practice to make, but we believe it is the right decision as your oral health is of the utmost importance to us.”

Patients can only remain at the surgery if they pay for monthly private care costing between £10 and £17.50.

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It will offer free care to patients aged 10 and under who have a fee-paying registered parent at the practice.

Janet Aris, a 71-year-old grandmother from Thyme Close, in Chineham, said she is unable to afford private dentist care on a state pension and has been unable to find another NHS provider in the town.

She told the Gazette: “As soon as I got the letter I looked for another NHS dentist but the nearest one was 14 miles away in Aldershot. By the time I phoned the spaces were gone.”

The mother-of-two, who is retired from a job in customer services, said her daughter moved to Basingstoke in July and has been trying to find an NHS dentist ever since.

She added: “The state of dentistry in Basingstoke is horrendous. It is such a shock to find out in this time of crisis when we are counting every penny to find £20 a month for a dental plan.

“I feel disenfranchised. Why can we no longer receive dental care on the NHS and how are we going to afford private care? I’m so worried. I’ve been with them for 20 years and have gone every six months without fail and I feel completely let down. There will be people worse off than me.”

Chequers Dental Surgery and the NHS have been asked for a comment.