A specialist dental clinic in Ilkley has been acquired from a corporate healthcare firm by three partners.

U Dentistry on Valley Drive has been bought by practice manager Jill Dean and dental surgeons Martin Harris and Alyn Morgan with funding from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. They will continue working at the practice.

U Dentistry was established in 2005 and provides a range of medical and cosmetic services, including dental implants, root canal treatments and veneers. It has nine members of staff, including two nurses and two hygienists, and also offers orthodontic treatments through a visiting orthodontist, Sandy Karnezi.

Martin and Jill, who have been with the practice since it started, had been trying to buy the business from several previous owners before their offer was accepted.

They approached Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking’s healthcare banking team to secure a six-figure loan for the deal, which was provided under the Government-backed Funding for Lending Scheme which offers a one per cent discount on interest.

Mr Harris said: “We had been looking to purchase the practice since it was founded in 2005, but after its sale this had looked less and less likely. The major advantage of being small and owner-run is that we can offer a much more personal level of service that is tailored to the needs of our patients and which helps to build the trust that is vital between a dentist and patient.

“U Dentistry also represented a really good opportunity for us to buy a strong business that also had lots of potential for future expansion, and we’re already looking at developing our orthodontic offering further in the coming year.

“The funding package offered by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking was by far the most competitive we had seen and the guidance offered by our relationship manager throughout the process has been invaluable in completing the transaction quickly and efficiently.”

Steve Midgley, Lloyds healthcare banking relationship manager, said: “Dental practices like U Dentistry offer a valuable service to the local community, and it’s encouraging to see the team’s hard work and perseverance in looking to purchase the practice pay-off.

“Jill, Martin and Alyn’s substantial experience, combined with their thorough business plan, made it a compelling proposition and helped us to quickly structure a lending package that suited their exact requirements.”

He said the bank provided healthcare customers with a dedicated healthcare relationship manager who remained up to date with trends and legislation affecting the sector.