Health bosses in Bradford say they will not be following the lead of colleagues in Leeds who have imposed a controversial ruling which will deny thousands of children free dental treatment.

Leeds Primary Care Trust chiefs are not allowing dentists to treat adults privately and children on the NHS when a new dental contract comes into force on April 1.

The controversial decision, which will affect residents of Pudsey, Calverley and Rawdon, among others, forces dentists to chose between all NHS work or all private work and could mean children and people exempt from NHS charges are left without a dentist. The situation has arisen because of new contracts which mean the budget for NHS dental services will pass from the Department of Health to the primary care trusts, who are responsible for commissioning services.

It gives the PCT direct control locally over how the money is spent.

However, many dentists are desperately unhappy with the new contracts and have said they will not accept them so they have decided to opt out of the NHS.

Some dentists have in the past been happy to treat the children of private adult patients on the NHS, however the ruling by the five Leeds PCTs will put an end to this.

The PCTs said the decision has been taken because they want all patients to have a choice over their care, and do not want the situation to arise where patients are taking up private care simply because they feel this is the only option and the only way they will get their children seen.

However, a spokesman for the Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trusts said they would not be adopting such a stance and would still allow dentists to have restrictive lists.

"We are supporting dentists through the introduction of the new dental contract to ensure smooth running of services for NHS patients," she said.

"The vast majority of existing contracts are simply rolling forward, but some practices have expressed a wish to change to a more restrictive list of patients and the PCTs are supporting their decision.

"In future, if a practice wants to change to a restrictive list that would be subject to negotiation with the local PCT."