PEOPLE desperately seeking an NHS dentist may have been thrown a lifeline with plans to open a flagship dental practice in Lostwithiel.

The Primary Care Trust has pledged to provide for an additional 2,000 NHS dental patients in Lostwithiel by May and dentist Dr Finley Bason is keen to help meet that provision.

Currently 2,800 of the 3,000 patients on his books are NHS registered and if plans to expand the Lostwithiel Dental Practice at Station Yard get the green light, this number could increase.

Dr Bason, 36, who lives in Par with his wife Nikki and three children, began looking at expanding his Station Yard practice two years ago.

"We are at a crucial stage at the moment but if everything goes well we could potentially open four surgeries within the practice. It could create more local jobs and I have always wanted to run a predominately NHS practice.

"I wanted to develop the practice here but I hit a lot of red tape with the current location.

"I decided that it would be easier to go for using the Old Carriage Works at Brunel Quays, and work with developer John Wombwell.

"It would be fantastic if it all comes together and I hope it could be a flagship practice, which could meet the health needs of people in the area.

"I would like to create a real community dental practice where schoolchildren could come and visit and learn about what we do as well."

The plans for the practice were given support from Lostwithiel Town Council and it would occupy the last building to be developed on the Brunel Quays site.

This building would be divided into accommodation, commercial units and the dental practice.

Dr Bason said: "Everyone here has been very supportive of my plans and the town council has been fantastic and there are people who have been on the waiting list for two years who have been really patient.

"The new practice would give us 1,700 square feet to work in and we could be seeing 10,000 patients from the wider area each year."

A national and local bus service runs through Lostwithiel and the Lerryn minibus frequently visits the town and would be able to offer transport to the surgery from outlying areas.

The site is adjacent to the mainline railway and Lostwithiel Station.

A planning application was submitted to Cornwall Council to demolish internal walls as part of the conversion on Wednesday February 17 and consultation will end on March 24.