EMERGENCY and unregistered patient dental treatment will be provided on the NHS in Malton after the lobbying of health minister Rosie Winterton by Ryedale MP John Greenway.

The Government is also considering including a dental suite in the second phrase redevelopment of Malton, Norton and District Hospital.

Mr Greenway wrote to the health minister to pass on the concerns of his constituents about the provision of NHS dentistry in Ryedale at the request of Norton Town Council.

In her response, Rosie Winterton said she was sorry to hear that there were no dental practices in Malton registering new NHS patients. She said that dental practitioners were private contractors and therefore free from obligation to provide NHS services.

She said she had been in touch with Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust (PCT), which is responsible for providing dental care in the area.

"In anticipation of the withdrawal of NHS dental provision in Malton, arrangements have been made to provide additional sessions for emergency and unregistered patient treatment through the Community Dental Service at the Malton Clinic," wrote the health minister.

"North Yorkshire has submitted a section 56 bid to the Department of Health to provide funding for three salaried dentists.

"The Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT is confident that one of these dentists will be based in its area."

Discussions about the locations of these dentists will be held next month.

"In addition, consideration is being given to the inclusion of a dental suite within the second phrase redevelopment of Malton, Norton and District Hospital," she wrote.

While these developments in NHS dental provision are being pursued, Ms Winterton suggested that people contact free medical helpline NHS Direct because there were a number of dentists on the outskirts of York that were accepting patients.

"The Government recognises that access to NHS dentistry can be difficult in some parts of the country. We are committed, however, to providing NHS dental care for all who need and seek it," she wrote.

John Greenway said he would continue to take a close interest in the issue as he believed people should have the choice of attending a dentist locally for NHS treatment and that the Government had a duty to provide it.

Updated: 12:07 Wednesday, November 19, 2003