A PATIENT of a Northallerton dentist has called for Government action to sort out confusion over NHS dental services.

His dentist - Nabeel Muhairez - has decided to treat most of his patients privately as from November.

The patient, Christopher Purser from Sowerby, says he has every sympathy with Dr Muhairez.

"I spend longer just cleaning my teeth than he is able to devote to each patient," he said.

Dr Muhairez says he has taken the decision reluctantly.

"I have always worked within the NHS, as did both my parents," he said.

But Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust, which has responsibility for delivering NHS dental care, says it has done everything possible to keep Dr Muhairez in the NHS fold and will continue to support him in the service he provides to NHS patients.

And the chairman of North Yorkshire Local Dental Committee John Chamberlain - who is also a Northallerton dentist - appealed to people to have patience until the Government shake-up of dentistry has bedded in.

Mr Purser says the pressure on Dr Muhairez is "plain crazy".

"He is a very good dentist and I will stay with him if I can," he said.

Dr Muhairez said the real problem surrounding dental services was one of under-funding. "If funding was better we would not have to work at the rate we do," he said. "I am moving into the private sector partly to regain control in deciding what to offer my patients without being encumbered by curbs on materials and such.

"I want to deliver a more forward-thinking and modern service."

Dr Muhairez will continue to treat children and charge-exempt people as NHS patients.

But after a phased changeover, everyone else will have to pay private charges.

He does, though, say that in most cases people could actually end up paying less through a "partnership approach" to dental and oral health.

Mr Chamberlain says emerging difficulties are linked to the frustration dentists face because of a lack of information coming from the Government on proposed new contracts for NHS dentists.

He said work being done by the PCT should provide increased access to NHS services but these measures may need patience from all parties.

A PCT spokesman said Dr Muhairez had confirmed he had told patients he would no longer be providing NHS dentistry from November for fee-paying adults.

"This is against a national backdrop of proposals to reform NHS primary care dentistry," she said. "The whole system of how dentists are funded and how they are paid is being changed."

But she stressed the PCT had had some positive talks with the local dentistry committee with a view to developing plans for more recruitment.

* Why I'm going private: page 5

* Letters to the Editor: page 19