A NATIONAL dental company that has opened a new surgery has been inundated by calls from would-be NHS patients

ADP Dental Company's £500,000 premises at Pelton Lane Ends, near Chester-le-Street, opened on Tuesday, and already has more than 1,000 people on its books.

The firm won a contract from the County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT) to provide cover in the areas considered to be in great need of NHS provision, following the departure of many dentists from state-funded work.

Chester-le-Street is one of the areas where, according to figures published last summer, the number of NHS-registered patients has fallen.

Joanne Barella, the company's area business manager, said: "We have registered in excess of 1,000 patients. Our girls have coped really well. We have been inundated with calls and the phones have never stopped.

"It really is a fantastic facility, with state-of-the-art equipment, and the service we can offer our patients is second to none.

"The first four or five patients we treated were astounded by the quality of the service we provided.''

Ms Barella added that the PCT, which has welcomed the firm's efforts, had been "fantastic'' to work with.

"We are very proud of the facility. It has been hard work getting it up and running," she said

The surgery is in Old Roseberry School House, in the grounds of Pelton Roseberry Primary School, and has two full-time and one part-time dentist. The surgery also accepts private patients.

The company, which has 63 practices across the country, plans to open a surgery in South Hetton and another in Easington next month.

The South Hetton surgery will be in a new medical centre, in Front Street, and the Easington premises will be in South Side.

Easington District Council's development and regulatory committee has approved plans to convert a terraced house into a surgery, where ten people work.

A resident and the parish council raised concerns about on-street parking but the committee concluded the plan would provide an "important local health facility''.

To register as a patient, call 0845-8693022. Over-the-counter registrations are not accepted.