Health chiefs are pushing ahead with plans to increase dental cover in Malvern.

This follows last month's news that the Buckingham House dental surgery, in Graham Road, was dropping 5,000 NHS patients from its lists.

West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer wrote to health secretary John Reid for an assurance that action was being taken. He has had a reply from heath minister Rosie Winterton, outlining steps South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust is taking to improve the situation.

She said the recently-opened Dental Access Centre, in Osborne Road, has the capacity to take more patients and a mobile dental van could be brought to the site, increasing capacity further.

Plans are also afoot to extend the centre's opening hours, so it is open in the evening four days a week.

The trust is also negotiating with a dentist who wants to buy an existing local practice, which has the capability to be expanded quickly and cheaply.

It is also seeking to recruit two dentists from abroad to join this practice.

Alan McMichael, the trust's dental consultant, said offers had been made to two dentists from abroad and they were expected to start work in Malvern in the new year, subject to background checks and training.

He confirmed that discussions were taking place with the dentist who wanted to acquire a practice and said the trust was "very satisfied" with the way things were going.