FINAL details are under discussion to provide NHS dental services in parts of North Yorkshire where patients currently have only private surgeries.

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) said that provision would be available shortly.

The PCT was criticised this week for failing to provide a service in Leyburn and Hawes, ten months after a contract was awarded to a private company, which has already appointed dentists and is poised to begin surgeries.

Councillor John Blackie, the county councillor for the upper dales and chairman of the scrutiny of health committee, said patients were suffering.

Richmond and Catterick are also without NHS provision, even though tenders were launched last summer.

A spokesman for the PCT said: "The contract to provide NHS dental services in the Bedale, Leyburn and Hawes areas is moving forward and final details are currently being discussed.

"In the Bedale area, the new service is already up and running and offering patients better access to NHS dental services. We anticipate the service covering the Leyburn and Hawes area will follow shortly.

"NHS dental services in the Richmond area are being looked at separately as part of a North Yorkshire-wide service development.

"The discussions about setting up the service in the Richmondshire area, and agreeing how it will operate, continue and all those involved hope to reach a satisfactory conclusion soon."

Many dentists in the area ceased providing NHS treatment under the terms of new contracts, which came into effect in April last year.