A DENTIST has decided to go private because he could not cope with the number of NHS patients he was expected to see.

Residents in the Sudell area of Darwen were left reeling after Wrennall's, of Railway Road, sent out letters to its patients announcing the move this week and offering them the chance to become private patients.

But health bosses have been told that the high number of low-income families in the area will now struggle to get good dental care.

The move was revealed just days after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph reported how patients in East Lancashire were faced with a 90-mile round trip to register with NHS dentists because of a local shortage.

Health bosses called it 'disappointing' and said everything possible was being done to attract new NHS dentists to the area.

Roy Davis, 57, of Olive Lane, is registered with the practice. He said: "A letter was sent out saying they're going private. I imagine there are two or three thousand people unhappy. I phoned the NHS and they said the nearest NHS dentist is in Clitheroe.

"That sounds a bit ridiculous, having to go from Darwen to Clitheroe.

"At the end of the day the area is deprived. That is important to remember. The practice serves Sudellside, and for two to three thousand patients there is no help for them whatsoever without having to pay money for the services and go private."

Dentist Arthur Wrennall declined to speak directly to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph but issued a statement through Denplan, an independent firm who will take over the administration of the practice, dealing with paperwork and direct debit payments.

A spokesman for the firm said: "The reason they have decided to move to Denplan is that under the NHS, Dr Wrennall is having to see so many patients that it's almost impossible to see that number.

"His waiting times in the waiting room and to get an appointment are getting longer and longer and the time he can dedicate in the chair is getting shorter and shorter.

"To be able to provide quality care is what matters. By converting to Denplan he is going to be able to provide much better care."

Patients who joined the practice under the NHS will have their current treatments honoured by the practice, but in order to stay with Wrennall's will need to join a Denplan payment plan, paying monthly for treatment.

According to the Primary Care Trust, there are still dentists in Darwen which treat through the NHS, but none is currently accepting new patients. Instead, residents will have to travel to Clitheroe or Chorley for treatment.

Gary Whittle, Primary Care Trust public dental health consultant for East Lancashire, said: "We are very disappointed that this particular dentist has taken this decision but we are working on plans to get more dentists into East Lancashire."