YORK'S MP is to press the Government for 60 trainee dentists to come to the city to ease its dental crisis.

Hugh Bayley has persuaded the Minister responsible for dentists, Rosie Winterton, to visit York for top-level talks to address the escalating shortage of NHS dentists.

Proposals for a school of dentistry are already part of plans to extend the University of York campus east of Heslington.

Mr Bayley revealed to the Evening Press that the Government is close to announcing an additional 200 training places a year nationally - and wants some of these to be provided in York.

"I believe 140 of these would be at existing medical schools and the remaining 60 would be in one new school," he said.

"York, in my view, would be a good location to have that new school, although we will face tough competition from the Midlands, which does not have any schools of dentistry.

"One of the things we know is that dentists usually practise close to where they trained."

University of York spokeswoman Hilary Layton said they were delighted to hear of Mr Bayley's support for the bid.

"That sort of support is always great," she said.

Ms Layton said a school of dentistry may be established on same lines as the recently opened Hull York Medical School, which is a joint venture with the University of Hull.

Additional Government funding of £65.2 million was agreed for NHS dentistry in September and across the country there are now 18,500 dentists.

But York still has a shortage, and there is not a single NHS dental practice in the city accepting new patients.

Wigginton Dental Practice and Flynn's Dental Practice in Acomb last month announced that they were withdrawing from the NHS, forcing thousands of patients to join a private payment scheme if they wish to continue receiving treatment at their current surgery.

A crisis meeting was held between Mr Bayley and the Strategic Health Authority, the York and Selby NHS Primary Care Trust and the York Local Dental Committee to see what measures were needed to solve the shortage.

Following this, Mr Bayley wrote to Ms Winterton detailing issues that must be addressed to widen dental health provision in York.

An increased number of training places for dentists was at the top of the list, which health bosses see as a necessity to deal with the problem in the long term.

"Immediate steps need to be taken to dissuade current dentists from turning their backs on the NHS and to recruit more hygienists and dental nurses to reduce the pressure on dentists," Mr Bayley said.

"We also need to look at pay and conditions of dentists and the possibility of recruiting suitably qualified dentists from abroad."

A date for Ms Winterton's visit has not yet been fixed.

Updated: 10:41 Monday, June 28, 2004