NATIONAL HEALTH dentistry will return to a town next month, a year later than health officials had promised.

The news that daily surgeries will operate in Leyburn from October 15 was welcomed by campaigners, but they called the delay a disgrace.

The service, at the Brentwood medical centre, will operate from Mondays to Fridays, but evening and Saturday appointments could also be introduced.

NHS dentistry will return one day a week to the Central Dales GP surgery at Hawes, from next month, on a date to be confirmed.

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) was heavily criticised for failing to provide NHS dentistry in some areas after dentists went private under new contracts in April last year.

In July last year, the PCT pledged to restore NHS treatment to Leyburn last October, after Birmingham-based firm Primecare was awarded the contract. The PCT blamed problems over a premises lease for long delays.

Councillor John Blackie, chairman of North Yorkshire County Council's health scrutiny committee, said: "I am pleased to announce that a new, state-of-the- art dental surgery will open in Leyburn on Monday, October 15."

Leyburn resident Mervyn Wilmington, who threatened to report the PCT to the Health Services Commission, welcomed the news but said: "The PCT should regard itself as disgraceful, having taken all this time."

Campaigners will continue to push for restoration of NHS dentistry to Richmond and Catterick. It is understood that plans are being prepared to turn an empty shop in Richmond Market Place into a surgery.

Linda Curran, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Richmondshire, said: "The trust has continued to waste time and money and to ignore very real local needs. I have been campaigning for this dentistry ever since the calls started to flood in bemoaning the fact that only private care was available in the area."

Jane Marshall, director of commissioning at the PCT, said the Richmond surgery was due to open next January, or earlier if possible.

Anyone who has not previously registered to become an NHS patient in Leyburn can do so by calling 01845-573865 or via the website www.nyypct.nhs.uk