A Darlington dentist has blamed NHS contracts as the reason why he has gone private.

Simon Holguin, a partner in the Victoria Dental Practice, has said the new contracts will not provide the necessary level of care for his 4,000 patients.

Whereas in the past patients were registered to their individual practice, from April 1 they will be registered to their local Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Mr Holguin said this would not provide the necessary commitment between dentists and patients and there would be no guarantee of an after-care service.

He has said the new policy of fixed targets for patient care will also be detrimental.

Mr Holguin said the practice would not be better off financially by going private.

He said: "This is not an economical decision, it really is a decision based on clinical care.

"This was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"It's not the standard of dentistry our patients expect and probably deserve."

The practice has written to all of its patients telling them it plans to go private.

Mr Holguin is also a silent partner at a dental practice in Skinnergate.

However, he has said the circumstances at that practice meant it was impractical to opt out of the NHS.

He said: "Every dental practice in Britain is different.

"There's no real way of getting out of it there.

"There's a lot of income support and family credit.

"It would be difficult for the parent to survive without NHS dentistry."

The remaining 19 of Darlington's 20 dental practices have signed new NHS contracts.

Carole Harder, director of primary care, Darlington PCT, said the NHS cash the Victoria Road practice would have received will be redistributed among other practices in the borough or used to expand the services of the PCT's dentist at the Parkgate Health Clinic.

She said: "The PCT also wishes to assure patients that the quality of NHS provision will be of the highest standard.

"Quality assurance is an essential element of the new NHS contracts and will be monitored closely by the PCT.

"Any suggestions that NHS cover will be in some way second best is misplaced and the PCT will ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained at all times."