Dentist halts treatment for asylum seeker patients to prioritise residents after backlash over NHS appointments

By EIRIAN JANE PROSSER, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 11:06, 25 June 2026 | Updated: 11:06, 25 June 2026 A dental practice has announced it will stop treating asylum seekers at a Home Office migrant camp after concerns were raised by locals. Mermaid Dental Care in Crowborough, East Sussex, said the nationwide shortage of NHS appointments was contributing to tensions in the town. In a post on Facebook, the practice said its decision to end providing services to the asylum seekers reflected its commitment to existing patients. A statement from Mermaid Dental Care said: 'Following careful consideration of our service provision and the needs of our patients, we have made the decision to cease providing dental services to residents of the Crowborough camp.  'Our primary commitment is to our team and the local community we have served for many years, and this decision reflects that.' The practice also said staff had faced repeated abuse and claimed that this had come from members of the local community. Mermaid Dental Care in Crowborough, East Sussex, said the nationwide shortage of NHS appointments was contributing to tensions in the town It added: 'We fully understand the frustration felt by patients who are struggling to access dental care. These are genuinely difficult times and we do not take lightly the impact this has on people's health and wellbeing.  'However, we must be clear, we will not tolerate abuse of our staff under any circumstances. Sadly, over recent months our team have experienced aggressive and passive abusive behaviour on multiple occasions, both in person and over the phone.' The move comes amid ongoing controversy in the town after the Home Office set out plans to house up to 600 single male migrants at a Ministry of Defence Army Training Camp on the Ashdown Forest. The camp has sparked weekly protests since the first migrants arrived on January 22, following the eviction of school-age cadets in December because the site was deemed unsafe for children. The dental practice's announcement triggered a wave of reactions from Crowborough residents, with many celebrating the decision as a victory. Some praised the clinic for what they called a 'common sense decision' to support the local community first. Resident Ray Francis said: 'Common sense prevails! Well done!' while Christina Lavis added: 'It's about time that NHS funded treatments only go to those who have contributed.' Some patients admitted they had been planning to boycott the practice, with Annie-Tattam Fellows saying: 'Woohoo! Was going to call and cancel my appointment today but now will stick with mermaid.' However, the move also drew criticism from those who argued the practice only backed down after facing public backlash. Locals in Crowborough on February 2, protesting against aslyum seekers being housed at a military site nearby Monty Tallulah questioned the dentist's motives, calling the decision a 'knee-jerk response to being found out'. A spokesperson for Mermaid Dental Care said: 'We had worked to provide additional support for Crowborough Training Camp, without impacting on our regular services to the Crowborough community. 'However, the level of local concern, including behaviour directed towards the practice is impacting on our staff. We have a clear duty of care to our team and must prioritise their safety and wellbeing. After careful consideration, the NHS will look at an alternative service for the camp. 'Our primary commitment is to our team and the local community we have served for many years, and this decision reflects that.' NHS patients are now being accepted at Mermaid Dental Care, however, the practice warns that nationwide recruitment challenges are resulting in longer wait times. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.