A Bradford dentist has criticised the Department of Health for missing a golden opportunity to improve dental services.

Mark Edwards, treasurer of Bradford's Local Dental Committee, said dentists across the district were "very disappointed" with new contracts due to come into force on April 1.

Mr Edwards said that disappointment was shared by local primary care trusts, who are responsible for dental services and who under new contracts will be responsible for financing them, and by West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority and the Local Dental Committee.

"And patients will be disappointed when they find out what is in it for them," he said. "It is very sad because the Govern-ment had a wonderful opportunity to do something worthwhile."

Dentists across Bradford and Airedale are currently in negotiations with local Primary Care Trusts over their own particular contracts.

Under the old rules, dental practices were run as private businesses and paid per operation by the NHS. Under the new contracts, Primary Care Trusts will pay for the running of the practice.

But some dentists say they will not receive enough money to treat patients properly. In parts of the country it is feared this will lead to a further exodus of dentists from the NHS.

In August last year a dental practice in Northgate, Baildon, announced it would no longer be treating NHS patients because it said the new contracts were "unworkable".

The decision left about 900 patients forced to relocate or start paying private fees.

Mr Edwards said he believed the Bradford practices who had announced they had had enough of the NHS would have gone anyway. "My personal view is that most people who are going to duck out have done so already," he said.

He said although many did not like the new contract if common sense was used it would be possible to make it work.

"Bradford has always had a spirit of co-operation in primary care which had led to many medical innovations," he said.

"One thing this new contract does bring is a chance for the PCTs to be more innovative in dentistry and that is a big bonus."

However, he said the major problem in the industry was a lack of dentists and other dental professionals. "There is a massive manpower crisis," he said. "There just is not enough dentists. So even if the PCT had more money to pay for dentists they can't find them. This is a major problem and one the PCT cannot solve no matter how well they manage services."

A spokesman for Bradford district PCTs said: "The PCTs are working with dentists and their representative bodies to ensure the smooth running of services for NHS patients and are discussing ways in which to best implement the contract to meet everyone's needs. The PCTs will do everything possible to ensure that all dentists in the Bradford district will be properly paid for their NHS work after April 1.

"They are still receiving details of the contract and we fully understand that it may take them some time to work through how the changes will affect their practices.

"In the meantime, the PCTs are supporting them through this change."

e-mail: claire.lomax @bradford.newsquest.co.uk