Patients of an East Oxford dental surgery have been told the practice is to close at the end of this week.

Staff at the ADP surgery at 221 Cowley Road were told on Monday that the branch was to merge with the company's Kidlington practice. The Oxford surgery, which has about 8,000 NHS patients and employs 12 staff, is the first in the city to close since primary care trusts (PCTs) took responsibility for dental care in April, with new dental contracts and "a limited budget".

Patients have been told that they will be given priority access to NHS treatment in Kidlington or at other surgeries in Oxford, but staff are still waiting to find out whether they will be out of a job on Monday. One member of staff, who did not want to be named, said: "How do two practices go to one? There will be job losses.

"We are just in limbo until tomorrow. It has been 24 hours of not knowing how you're going to pay the mortgage, put food on the table, or whether you will have a job next week.

"I would assume it is cost effective for it to close. I imagine Oxford PCT haven't got enough funds to keep on all the NHS dentists."

She said patients with ongoing treatments would have to go elsewhere because staff had only been given five days' notice of the closure, adding: "We were the only ones in Oxford still taking on NHS patients."

Brian Wilson, a 63-year-old patient from St Clement's, was at the surgery yesterday when he was told the closure meant he could not make his follow-up appointment.

He said: "I am stunned. I have been told I will be sent a letter and I will be given a dentist in Kidlington. That is okay for younger people, and perhaps for me, but I can't see my neighbour Dorothy getting to Kidlington on her Zimmer frame."

A spokesman for Oxford City PCT said: "New dental contracts, introduced in April, mean that PCTs are now responsible for commissioning dental services for patients in their area. They have a limited budget and have to work with dentists to ensure access to NHS services for as many patients as possible."

Steve Frampton, ADP's operations director, said the company wanted to consolidate the two practices to improve efficiency.

He added: "Because Kidlington currently has poor access to NHS dental services, the PCTs were keen for us to use our Kidlington practice as the new single base rather than Cowley Road."

Patients registered at the practice are to be sent a letter to explain the situation. Anybody who has not received one by Monday can contact Oxford City PCT on 01865 226818.

Anyone seeking advice about NHS dentists should call the NHS helpline on 0845 4647.