THOUGH she was suffering agony from a suspected abscess on a tooth, York pensioner Moira Markham was outraged when she could not find a dentist to give her emergency treatment on the NHS.

Mrs Markham, 68, of Bishopthorpe Road, rang dental practices in the city, but without any joy.

One said they could treat her in a fortnight, but she feared that if she had an abscess the poison could have spread by then.

Although she already had pain-killers for her arthritis she was worried about taking too many, particularly because the pain from her teeth prevented her eating.

She went to the NHS Walk-In Centre at Monkgate, but they had to make a number of other calls before they got someone at North Yorkshire Health Authority who found a York practice that could treat her the following day. "That was the only one they could fit me in - I think that's awful," she said.

Dr Gavin McBurnie, director of primary care for the health authority, said access to NHS dentistry had been a problem for years, which the Government was in process of addressing.

"At times there can be problems for people accessing NHS dentistry in York," he added. "If people do contact the health authority we are usually able to help them very quickly." Dr McBurnie said an application for a dental access centre in York was being considered by the NHS regional office.

People could contact the authority on 01904 825187, and he believed NHS Direct (0845-4647) would shortly provide a similar service in North Yorkshire.