DENTISTS who force patients to travel outside a North-East city to find NHS treatment were branded selfish by an MP last night.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods said the dentists - who were NHS-trained - were neglecting their "social responsibilities" by welcoming only private patients.

Although 20 dentists in Durham treat NHS patients, all have now closed their lists - forcing patients to travel to Chester-le-Street Community Hospital, five miles away.

The lack of available care in Durham is despite Tony Blair's celebrated pledge, six years ago, to give everybody who wanted one an NHS dentist.

Leading a Commons debate, Dr Blackman-Woods said an extra 1,000 dentists since Labour came to power was not "delivering on the ground for the people in Durham".

She asked: "How can we encourage dentists to take their social responsibilities in providing NHS care more seriously, especially as they are trained and supported by the NHS?"

The Labour backbencher also warned that dental registers were being filled up by people who worked in the city, but lived elsewhere.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton said there were no plans to force people to register with a dentist close to their home, rather than their place of work.