THE Government is giving more than £1.25 million to help fill the gaps in NHS dental services in Herefordshire.

IT will be used to open up dental surgeries in Kington and Ledbury and provide a state of the art mobile surgery to roam round rural areas.

The massive boost to teeth care has been confirmed by Herefordshire Primary Care Trust which made a bid for extra money earlier this year.

It came following complaints from people across the county that they were unable to book up for treatment with NHS dentists many of whom had switched to private work only.

The Department of Health had previously chosen Herefordshire as a trial area for financing the provision of NHS dental facilities.

It provided cash for the health authority to plan NHS surgeries only in Hereford, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

Protests came from Kington and Ledbury, with people saying they had to travel long distances for NHS treatment and wanted the same services.

The Primary Care Trust took heed, put in a new bid for cash and is delighted with the result.

The Government is giving more money than it was asked for.

Of the £1.25 million, £1 million will run the extra NHS services for three years.

The remaining £250,000 is capital money to establish and fit two fixed NHS surgeries in the proposed new hospitals at Kington and Ledbury and to buy a mobile surgery.

This surgery on wheels is currently being built. At a cost of £100,000 it will be one of the best of its kind available and should be seen in Herefordshire in October.

The mobile unit will cover more remote rural areas including the Golden Valley and will have a stop in Bromyard.

In its initial stages it will cover the Kington area until the hospital is built.

Details of its services will be made known at a later date.

The Government has said all people should have reasonable access to NHS dental care and in Herefordshire it is hoped to provide it within 15 miles.