MORE than 1,000 patients have lost the services of their NHS dentist in the last six months, it has been revealed.

The high number of "de-registrations" are mainly due to dentists moving into private practice or leaving work and not being replaced. The 1,078 de-registrations were revealed on the same day that it was announced that the six-month system of NHS dental check-ups is to be scrapped because of the nationwide shortage of dentists.

The Bournemouth Primary Care Trust (PCT) said it is working hard to meet tough targets in increasing the number of people registered with an NHS dentist.

The Strategic Health Authority wants the PCT to increase the total by 3,546 by March 2005 but the PCT has set itself the even tougher task of creating an extra 8,000 NHS places within the next couple of years.

Joy Reynolds, director of planning at the PCT, said it was currently in discussions over the creation of at least one new four-chair dental practice capable of treating an additional 8,000 patients. It had also joined with Poole PCT to fund a new dental practice at West Hill capable of accepting 3,750 new patients.

And capacity at the Canford Heath and Parkstone emergency dental access clinics will be increased to ensure that all unregistered patients are given the option of obtaining NHS dental treatment.

She said: "We know that there are problems but we are working very hard to improve things."

First published: October 28