Last updated 05:36, Friday, 19 September 2008

IT was less than two years ago when The Cumberland News reported on a shortage of NHS dentists.

There were queues of people forced to re-register with practices which had decided to turn private.

As increasing numbers of the county’s dentists refused to carry out NHS work under new government contracts which came into force last year, Cumbria started recruiting from overseas to avoid a collapse of the service.

So it is sad and worrying that dentist Dr Jim Fotheringham may be forced to close his Alston surgery because of what he claims are unrealistic NHS targets. The rural practice is not busy enough, apparently, and should refund the Cumbria Primary Care Trust.

But Dr Fotheringham says his staff are being punished for carrying out quality work and saving teeth rather than taking the easy option of extraction. His is a commendable attitude. People who register with the NHS should not expect to be second-best to private patients.

Alston is an isolated town providing services for one of the remotest areas in the north of England. If the surgery closes, patients will be forced to trek to Brampton, Penrith or Hexham.

That may be manageable if all you need is a check-up but what if you’re in agony with an abscess or require emergency surgery? And that is assuming there is enough spare capacity to take Dr Fotheringham’s extra 1,000 patients.

If the Alston practice is not meeting targets, there should be scope for the PCT to rethink, redraw and renegotiate to maintain a quality service that will keep dentists and their patients smiling.