AN emergency dental service is now operating in Inverclyde in a bid to help people who can no longer get access to NHS treatment and can't afford to pay.

Local health and social care chiefs have stepped in after it was revealed that all dental practices are now closed to new registrations, with private payment the only way to secure treatment.

There will now be a service two days a week at Greenock Health Centre to prevent people who do not have an NHS dentist from having to travel all the way to Glasgow for treatment.

It comes as members of the social work and social care scrutiny panel expressed outrage at the 'two tier' system which has opened up.

They have agreed to f ire off a letter to the health secretary demanding urgent action to end the crisis.

Chair of the panel Councillor Colin Jackson said: "It is deeply concerning that dental services are only available to those who can afford to pay."

Fellow panel member Cllr Martin McCluskey said: "This is blatant privatisation.

"I have heard of cases where dental practices have tried to offload patients on NHS contracts by telling them they need to sign up for a private plan.

"It is welcome that there is an emergency treatment available, but we need to look at preventative dental care as well because if not there will be more emergency dental care to come."

There are 11 dental practices in Inverclyde and none of them are currently taking on new NHS patients.

The new emergency service will initially be available one day and this will increase to two.

The British Dental Association says that the current remuneration model for dentists means that practices currently supply NHS treatment at a loss, resulting in increasing numbers of practices leaving the NHS contract framework.

But council leader Stephen McCabe has described the absence of NHS dental care for new patients as 'wholly unacceptable'.

He added: "Those of us who are registered have not had regular check ups for well over two years.

"The fact that there are people who can't get access to NHS dental service is unacceptable and we need to make that clear in the strongest possible terms.

"There is a role for the panel to be making representations to the health board chair and the government's cabinet secretary for health."