Ramsey dental practice will stop treating NHS patients from the end of next month.

Manx Care said it is actively looking to secure alternative dental provision for NHS patients currently with Grove Mount Dental Practice in Ramsey.

The practice has written to all its active NHS patients saying it will cease providing NHS services from March 31, but will continue to treat private patients.

In a statement, Manx Care acknowledged the announcement would cause uncertainty for patients but it was working to minimise disruption.

It said: ‘Grove Mount Dental Practice will be handing their contract back to Manx Care as of close of business on March 31.

‘Manx Care are actively looking to secure dental provision for the NHS registered patients currently allocated to Grove Mount Dental Surgery.

‘Patients will continue to be able to access their NHS dental services as usual up until March 31, and do not need to take any action at this time.

‘We appreciate that this news may cause some uncertainty for patients, however, Manx Care is working to minimise the disruption to patients and patients will be informed in due course of the ongoing arrangements for their dental care from April 1.

‘Manx Care will be working closely with the practice as plans are put in place over the coming months, to ensure a smooth transfer of their dental care.’

The dental service in the island is in crisis. Figures supplies to this month’s Manx Care board meeting showed that the total number of patients awaiting allocation to a NHS dentist is 6,114 - and the waiting list continues to grow.

Back in 2019 the waiting list for an NHS dentist had been reduced to zero.

Not only have more people been added to the list but the rate of allocation has slowed, to only 520 patients in 2023-24. There is now a 53-week wait to be allocated an NHS dentist.

Fielding his last Tynwald question as Health Minister, before his resignation, Lawrie Hooper described the system as ‘fundamentally broken’.