Secrecy surrounds new dentist

The queue outside an NHS dentist surgery in Carmarthen last month

The identity of a new NHS dentist opening in west Wales is being kept secret to avoid a repeat of huge queues.

Around 600 waited in line to try and register at the Brynteg Dental Surgery in Carmarthen in July when it announced it was taking on new patients.

Now another NHS dentist will open in Carmarthenshire in a matter of weeks.

But the county's local health board is looking at ways to prevent the queues recurring.

Any system, whatever its limitation, must be an improvement on expecting people to queue overnight Martin Morris

It is refusing to give any details about the new dentist and advising people to phone an NHS Direct helpline if they want to register.

A spokeswoman for the health board said: "In order to avoid similar scenes that occurred in Carmarthen, the local health board is not going to publish the details, in an attempt for a more controlled registration process.

"Those patients needing a dentist should contact NHS direct who will have the most up-to-date registration details for patients."

People phoning the number on Wednesday were being asked for their details and told someone would be calling them back.

One of them was retired school teacher Enid Wilkinson of St Clears who joined last month's queue but missed out.

She said: "At least something is being done to get more NHS dentists into the area but we don't know where it is going to be.

"I will keep ringing up to find out.

Enid Wilkinson has phoned the NHS number

"If it is a long way away I will not be able to get there.

"I'm desperate to find an NHS dentist but so are a lot of other people.

"I just hope it begins a steady trickle and from there it will mushroom out."

The Llanelli/Dinefwr Community Health Council, which represents patients' interests, said it was understandable that efforts were being made to avoid a repeat of July's queues.

Chief officer Martin Morris said last month some people had travelled by bus from as far away as Aberaeron to register, only to be turned away because they were too late.

He said: "Any system, whatever its limitation, must be an improvement on expecting people to queue overnight in the hope of registering for what is a basic service that you would expect the NHS to provide."

The helpline number is 0845 4647.