AN INVESTIGATION has been launched at a Basingstoke dental practice after concerns were raised about it passing on confidential information about a patient.

Basingstoke mum Louise Elliott got in touch with the Gazette after being unable to access an NHS appointment with Damira Dental Studios in South Ham, having suffered with excruciating pain caused by broken teeth.

The 36-year-old, from Oakridge Road, said she was in constant agony but had been unable to see her dentist at Damira as an NHS patient, despite trying for months.

When the Gazette contacted Damira for a comment, the woman who answered the phone gave us seemingly confidential information about Louise, including the number of appointments she had booked, those she had missed, and details of emergency appointments and check-ups.

She also told us that Louise had been taken off the books as an NHS patient after failing to attend nine appointments since 2013. She advised that Louise could access an emergency NHS appointment by calling at 8am.

Louise, however, said she had never been informed of this.

She said: “Why have they not told me I’ve been taken off the books? It’s disgusting. I have been calling at 8am in the morning. If they take people off the books, they should be telling them.”

Louise claims she has only missed one appointment, which was last year, explaining that she suffers with memory problems and forgot about it. The mother-of-one said she would be taking the matter up with Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, saying: “I haven’t missed any appointments because they won’t give me one.”

She added: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting; they never want to see me. I have been told by 111 that they have to see me and have a duty of care but they refuse.

“I have been in pain with my teeth for so long. I’ve been given antibiotics but they don’t work. Every time I call Damira they say they haven’t got any appointments and I have to pay to see them privately. But I’m an NHS patient.”

Louise has been suffering with pain in her teeth since the start of the year but said it had become worse in recent months.

She explained: “It keeps me awake at night it’s horrendous. It gets to the point where I just want to punch them out myself. I missed one appointment last year and now they won’t see me. I understand the problems with Covid but I just want my teeth out.”

Fiona Arnold, deputy practice manager, said the possible data breach would be investigated, adding: “Any potential breach of personal data is fully investigated and where necessary a response plan is initiated. Depending on our findings from this investigation, we have a process to inform affected individuals.”

She said the practice was unable to comment further on specific patients.