A DROITWICH Spa dentist has claimed health bosses have done a U-turn on funding for NHS treatment for children.

Concerns have been raised that dentists in Droitwich Spa and across the county will have to abandon treatment for youngsters because of new plans.

Under a new contract offered by South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, practitioners now fear they will have to take on many more NHS patients despite not having the capacity to do so.

The PCT has said that to receive funding practices need to have the same number of NHS patients as they had during the standard national test period from October 2004 to September 2005.

Droitwich dentist Richard Sheen from Old Market Court Dental Practice, High Street, has now hit out claiming that bosses have done a U-turn and withdrawn the original funding agreement.

He said: "After April when the new contracts come in virtually every dentist in Droitwich will not be treating NHS patients. However, only a few months ago the PCT had agreed to a child only list for NHS treatment. Figures, targets, and finances were all being discussed but now that has changed.

"If we want to treat children under the NHS we need to take on more NHS patients to balance the number of private patients we have.

"I believe that South Worcestershire PCT is trying to save money with this U-turn so they can open a couple of new NHS practices in the town instead. That way it looks like it is addressing the problem."

The issue and how it affects the town has recently been raised by Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff who has written to South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust expressing his concerns.

He also fears that South Worcestershire PCT will in some cases decide not to renew dentists' NHS contracts because they also treat adults privately and new contracts will not allow for treatment for both normal exempt patients and those paying charges.

South Worcestershire PCT says it cannot offer contracts based on offering NHS services to children and exempt adults because it would undermine the principle of a non-discriminatory NHS service.

Paul Bates, acting chief executive at South Worcestershire PCT, said: "Some dentists have indicated that they would prefer contracts which are restricted to the treatment of children and adults exempt from charges, but the trust is not able to offer such contracts."