LONG-SUFFERING dental patients were today urged not to lose faith in the local health service, after it was revealed nearly 400 people had an offer of dental care suddenly withdrawn.

It has emerged that 390 people were told a place had been found for them at an NHS dentist in Sherburn-in-Elmet. But they were then left in limbo, when the offer was withdrawn.

The patients had been on the Selby and York Primary Care Trust's new central database, which allows people to register once, and then be notified whenever a vacancy arises anywhere in the area. The scheme was introduced last September to prevent people from having to regularly ring round all dentists in the area, in the hope of finding a place.

John Grogan, the Selby MP, today said he understood the disappointment caused, but said the new database was still an improvement on the old system.

He said: "A central waiting list across Selby and York is a good idea, as it stops people having to ring up dentists on a daily basis, and I hope that the disappointments that have definitely been caused to some people will not undermine confidence in the system. The PCT acted as soon as they knew these patients had been let down, really."

AG Head's practice in Finkle Hill, Sherburn-in-Elmet, currently serves about 2,500 in the Sherburn-in-Elmet area.

A surgery spokeswoman, who refused to be named, said another 2,500 people wanted to join the practice when they recruited a second dentist in October.

But she said the second dentist left after a month's holiday and the surgery has been operating with only one dentist since last month.

She said: "We presumed the dentist would be staying with us but, unfortunately, the dentist left, which left us in a horrible situation really because we were taking many more people on.

"We have taken on the people that we registered and managed to fit them in somewhere.

"We are now trying to get another dentist, but it is like how long is a piece of string until we get somebody else."

Updated: 09:34 Wednesday, January 25, 2006