By Stewart Ross

THE CLOSURE of a clinic in Glenrothes is to add to Fife’s dental service woes, it has emerged.

After more than 20 years, the Woodside clinic in Glenrothes is to close, leaving 2000 patients facing trips to Kirkcaldy.

Reflecting national issues, a recruiting problem is to blame.

Local firm Harper Bell revealed their best efforts could not find a replacement for a dentist set to leave Woodside.

The remaining dentist and other staff will move to the company’s Kirkcaldy practice, where four dentists already work.

Harper Bell have pledged all Glenrothes patients will remain on the books.

“It seems the dentist who’s leaving is impossible to replace,” said senior partner Derek Harper, “and the colleague working in Glenrothes is just back from maternity leave and it’s not viable for her to run the practice alone.”

He continued, “We didn’t want this. The Glenrothes practice was a great facility with good disabled access and car parking.

“But it is important to stress that we will keep our patients and will treat them at our Kirkcaldy practice.

He attacked the “antiquated” fees system as adding to recruitment difficulties.

Young dentists do not find an NHS practice an attractive prospect, Mr Harper said.

Other issues include long hours and a belief overheads could swallow 70% of a practice’s takings, he added.

Fellow partner Archie Bell explained, “For too long dentistry has been chronically under-funded.

“A recent study revealed that only 6% of young dentists who will shortly finish their training want to work in an NHS practice.

“They all want to do their work in the private sector or a mixed practice in a city centre, they don’t want the NHS treadmill.”

Fife is to receive seven young Polish dentists, who will work at the new NHS “access centres,” but it is not an ideal way forward, Mr Bell believes.

“Instead of trying to recruit abroad they should be training more people, but that means more funding and more time,” he said.