THE South Lakes MP Tim Farron has criticised the lack of NHS dentists in Cumbria as one provider announced plans to shut down two of its Cumbria branches.

Bupa Dental Care has announced it will be cutting 85 dental practices due to a decline in recruitment. 

The 85 closures are set to affect around 1,200 staff across the UK. 

Bupa said the decision came amid patients at the affected practices not being able to access the NHS dental service they need.

Bupa, which provides NHS and private dental care, said the 85 practices will be closed, sold or merged later this year, bringing the total number of practices in the UK down to 365.

All the practices will remain open as usual in the meantime.

Bupa said it would be selling the Kendal Dental Practice, and closing the Barrow Practice.

The move will affect 1,200 employed and self-employed staff, representing more than a tenth of its 9,000-strong workforce.

Mr Farron said: "Local patients and those working in NHS dentistry are being completely failed by a government who have sat on their hands while this crisis has unfolded. 

"Back in 2019 I lead a debate in Parliament on the poor access of NHS dental treatment for people in Cumbria. Four years later and ministers have done nothing.

"Next week, I will be meeting NHS England on this very issue to challenge them on what action they will take to make sure that local people have access to the NHS dentistry that their taxes pay for."

General manager for Bupa Dental Care, Mark Allan, said: “As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need.

“For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "We are working to improve access to NHS dental care, backed by more than £3 billion a year.

"The number of dentists practising in the NHS increased by over 500 last year and we recently implemented reforms to provide fairer pay for practices to take on high-needs patients and require dentists to make it clear which practices are taking on new patients and the services available."