ONLY one dental practice in Huddersfield is now accepting new NHS patients.

But that practice has an EIGHT MONTH waiting list - effectively ruling out any chance of immediate registration.

It means more bad news for Huddersfield people, who have complained for months about problems getting dental care.

And it comes on the eve of the biggest change in NHS dental care in Britain tomorrow, which could mean fewer dentists taking NHS patients in the future.

NHS Direct advice is that Park View Dental Practice, in Trinity Street, is the only in a total of 40 practices in Huddersfield where new patients can join.

But it also advises there is a long waiting list.

The whole system will change tomorrow when the new dental contract comes into force.

Some dentists have voiced grave concerns about the new contracts.

But Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and local dental chiefs have played down talk of a crisis.

Mr Sheerman said: "I would say there are hurdles to overcome - it's so easy these days to call everything a crisis.

"Two people have written in saying they can't get a dentist.

"That's concerning but not a crisis and I will have another word with the minister who covers dentistry, Rosie Winterton, and keep her informed of the situation."

Speaking about the new contracts he said: "I hope that the transition will come through and I hope that the vast majority of dentists will opt to stay in the NHS."

Jini D'Cruz, consultant in dentistry public health for both Huddersfield Primary Care Trusts, said the current problem with access for new patients could change in a couple of months' time.

"The responsibility and the funding passes to the PCT from April 1. It means that the PCT will be able to commission, if the funding is there, for additional capacity so in that sense it may then widen the access."

As for the new contracts she said she was confident the vast majority of NHS dentists would sign up.

"I'm very confident that we're going to retain a good overall provision of NHS dentistry in the area, as we have always had in Huddersfield.

"We have been one of the fortunate areas really compared to other parts of the country."

But the current situation is leaving some dentists with a bad taste in their mouth. Philip Shirtcliffe, a dental surgeon at Netherton Dental Practice, said the new contract had left him with no choice but to leave the NHS after 13 years.

Mr Shirtcliffe explained that the new system is supposed to make it easier for people to get dental treatment. But for a system already overstretched, this is going to create difficulties.

"Dentists have a problem because the new contract allows free access by non-registered patients to NHS practices and dentists will surely have less time to spend with their regular patients, resulting in a drop in the standard of care.

"Time they spend with the regular patients will have to be sacrificed to fit in other people."

He said the only way his practice could guarantee the same quality of care to all his patients was to pull out of the NHS.

He added: "If patients can't afford to see us then at least the funding we would have had is going back into the pot at the PCT.

"The situation really will be chaotic and we don't think it bodes well for dentistry in the UK at all."

Mr Shirtcliffe said central Government was to blame and not the PCT.

"Most dentists are very unhappy, I would say, with the contracts. I think the implications of what it means will only come to the surface once they have been in place for a little while and then it will come through to the patients as well."

Susie Sanderson, chairman of the British Dental Association's executive board said: "Investment in dentistry continues to lag far behind what is spent on other areas of the health service. Until this chronic underfunding is tackled, the Government will continue to fail in its pledge to improve access to NHS dentistry."