BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has stepped up his campaign to bring more NHS dentists to Burnley.

The few remaining NHS dentists practices in the town are so full they can no longer take any more patients.

And a bid to get a new surgery under the "Field Site Status" scheme has been turned down.

Last month Mr Pike raised the issue with Health Ministers in the Commons and this week he continued to press for changes which will tackle Burnley's NHS dentist crisis.

In a written Commons question to Junior Health Minister David Lammy, he pressed for an announcement on the Modernising 'Dentistry Options for Change Programme'.

Mr Lammy said: "A total of 139 expressions of interest were received for field site status, covering 27 of the 28 strategic health authorities. "

"Fifty applications have been approved by the programme steering board for further development.

"More detailed work needs to be done to ensure that the applicants are able to deliver the required learning within the capacity of the programme.

"Officials from the Modernisation Agency will visit each of the applicants soon, and we will publish a list of participants in the options for change field sites once this work has been completed.

"Some 79 applicants were found not to fall within the seven key themes in the options for change report. The remaining ten, while not suitable for field status, are being considered for inclusion in other modernisation programmes, for example, development of the information technology infrastructure for National Health Service dentistry and personal dentist services pilot schemes.

"With their positive response to the call for applications to become field sites, dentists have demonstrated a most welcome commitment to changing the way in which NHS dentistry is organised. This, together with the Government's intention to legislate to enable far reaching reform for NHS provides an opportunity to address the problems that have been identified with the system over many years."

Mr Pike commented: "This is just the next step in my continued fight to get an adequate NHS dentist service here in Burnley. I will continue to press Burnley's case."