Dentist to pay up and retire – meaning surgery will vanish

Oct 11 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

THOUSANDS of people in Wirral face having no local dentist because of new contracts.

Greasby dentist Clive Morgan, 58, says he must retire early as a result of a £20,000 “clawback” bill from his Primary Care Trust.

Wirral PCT says a target for “units of dental activity” was not reached by his Greasby Road practice.

His patients now find themselves having to look elsewhere for dental provision because the trust has not allowed him to sell on his contract.

Mr Morgan says because the practice is on the first floor and could present access problems for the disabled they will not allow another dentist to operate there.

He said: “This is bad news for the 2,500 people of Greasby. It’s been here for 53 years and I have been here for 32 of them.

“I’m sad to go, I’m retiring years before I intended to, but the system is forcing me out. I’ve heard they can’t find another dentist to take it, but I doubt that.

“I have investigated and there are a lot of people interested, we would have no problem selling this on to a dentist if they (the PCT) would only allow it.” Wirral PCT could not comment on individual dentists, but added: “Under the new national contract, there is a level of activity agreed with each practice for which they receive an income provided on a monthly basis.

“As part of the contract, there is provision to recover money if there is under-performance, in the case of someone leaving the practice, eg, retirement, the contract would automatically return to the PCT.

“In cases where there is an under-performance of agreed activity, and as part of an annual financial reconciliation exercise, any overpayment for activity not delivered is recovered.”

It said it is inviting contracts and patients would not be disadvantaged and would continue to receive care.

liammurphy