A YORK woman has claimed she cannot get NHS dental treatment in the city because dentists are taking on too many patients from the East Coast.

Susan Christie, 46, has been trying to find an NHS dentist to attend to a crown on a front tooth.

But when her partner, John Burton, telephoned NHS Direct to find a dentist for her, he was told only one NHS dentist in York was taking on new patients - because the city's dental practices had taken on large numbers of patients from Scarborough and Bridlington.

The East Coast is suffering from a widely-reported shortage of NHS dentists.

If Ms Christie, of Acomb, registered with the dentist, she would still be placed on a two-month waiting list.

She was quoted more than £1,000 for her treatment by a private dentist, which would cost about £200 on the NHS. She said: "I have worked full time for many years and I find it appalling that I can't get treatment when I need it.

"York residents should be given the first chance to register in York.

"There's obviously a problem with dentistry in the Scarborough area or they wouldn't have to come over here."

A spokeswoman from NHS Direct said dentistry problems in Scarborough meant patients were looking elsewhere for treatment.

When the Evening Press telephoned the service as a consumer, we were also told only one dentist, in Bishopthorpe, was currently taking on new NHS patients.

Meanwhile, in Selby, three of the town's four dental surgeries have closed their books entirely to new patients, while the fourth will not see any new NHS patients until April.

Selby's prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate Mark Menzies, said that in 2000 the Government had promised everyone would have access to an NHS dentist, but now half the population could not see one.

The problem is mainly being blamed on a national shortage of practitioners.

Denise Smith, head of primary care delivery for Selby and York Primary Care Trust, said dentists were under no obligation to restrict registration to patients who live in their area.

She said: "It is not uncommon for patients to register with a dental practice that may be some distance from where they live. Some patients prefer to remain registered with the same dentist when they move house and others choose to register with dentist closer to their place of work rather than closer to home."

Any person within the Selby and York Primary Care Trust area who is not registered with a dentist and requires urgent treatment can access the North Yorkshire Dental Care Service. An appointment can be offered within 24 hours.

Last week, an NHS dental surgery in Scarborough was closed pending an investigation after it was reported that Aria van Drie, who worked at the Medimatch dental surgery, in New Queen Street, was given 240 hours community service and a six-month suspended jail sentence for her part in an incident in which two men kidnapped and beat up a Belgian dentist following a dispute over an unpaid debt.

Updated: 15:05 Monday, March 01, 2004