Introduction

A Devon dentist who left the NHS in 2006 is now hoping to return one of his three practices to the NHS.

Mark Harris, who has practised in Devon for 25 years, owns practices in Torquay, Paignton and Totnes, which have restricted NHS work to children and those on income support since 2006.

Now he has applied to Devon Primary Care Trust for a contract to provide NHS care for adults in his Totnes practice. 'I think when there isn't much money about the best arrangement is a mixture of NHS and private work,' Dr Harris said.

The Totnes surgery opened in 2000 with an NHS contract for £333,000 but went private in 2005. Dr Harris said that if he did not win the contract he would consider selling the building which was worth £750,000.

Dr Harris and his wife Cherry, an osteopath, own a house near Grenoble and are also considering selling up their UK practices and starting again in France, 'catering for a mixture of local patients and dental tourism,' said Dr Harris.

The South West has experienced particular problems in access to NHS dentistry after 30 practices in Devon and Cornwall opted out of the NHS before the introduction of the new contract in 2006. In March Teresa Perchard, policy director of the Citizens Advice Bureau, told the Health Select Committee's inquiry into dental services that the South West and North West regions of England were 'dental deserts'.