A patient has complained about the treatment she has received from a Bradford on Avon dental practice she claims cancelled appointments and failed to return her calls.

Joan Rawson said the Dentalcare practice in St Margaret’s Street had cancelled her appointments four times.

She tried to book a new one after lockdown ended because she had not seen a dentist for 19 months and needed a filling and a crown to be fitted.

Mrs Rawson, 62, of Fairwood Close, Trowbridge, said she had not had a check up since November 2019 because of the Covid lockdowns.

“My appointments have been cancelled four times. I have never been treated like this before when the surgery was behind the Bradford on Avon Health Centre.

“I finally got the crown fitted on Tuesday but only after my husband and I went to the practice on Monday morning to complain.

“They said that my next appointment would not be until the end of November, so we asked to see the manager and sat down until they found someone to see me.”

Mrs Rawson, who is an NHS patient, said that the first appointment booked by her husband David, 66, was cancelled.

“Just after my appointment was cancelled, I received a letter telling me I needed to book an appointment as a check-up was long overdue and if I didn’t make one I could be taken off their books.

“I had to wait seven weeks for another appointment and I waited 40 minutes to be seen. The dentist only looked at the two teeth that needed attention. He said I needed a filling on one and a crown on the other.

“He did the filling six or seven weeks later, very rushed, without much care. Then he said I needed to see a different dentist to do the crown. Two weeks later, I returned and agreed with the dentist on crown and price etc.

“The next appointment was seven weeks later, I turned up to be told my appointment was cancelled. They said they had tried phoning me but my number was invalid.

“I explained that I had recently filled in a form with all my new details on, and the receptionist said it had not been uploaded to the system.

“After two weeks I returned and work started on the crown. The new crown was meant to be fitted two weeks later. Again, I travelled from my home in Trowbridge for only to be told my appointment was cancelled again.

“They had no idea when a new appointment would be available. I asked to speak to the manager and was told the area manager was in the practice and they would ask her to phone me but she did not call.

“Several days later my husband accompanied me to the practice to demand a new appointment. I was given one for ten days later on September 8, only to contacted mid-morning to tell me it had been cancelled once again. It is impossible to make contact via the telephone as they don’t bother answering.”

The Dentalcare practice has been approached for a comment.