A Yeovil man will remain registered as an NHS patient with his dentist after having complained ferociously about being taken on the list.

Seven weeks ago we told the story of Johnny Boucher of Sandringham Road, who had received a letter from Broadway House Dental Surgery in Union Street, saying his registration as an NHS patient was about to cease.

It is not known how many patients have had such a letter, but the one to Mr Boucher read: "I write to advise you that your registration at the above surgery as an NHS patient will terminate on 7th September 2002.

"Until that date only NHS emergency treatment will be available. All other treatment will be offered under a private contract. If you agree to be seen under this new private arrangement you will be informed of the fees involved for any treatment you may require." The letter was signed by dental surgeon Mr F J Tingay.

Mr Boucher was not happy and couldn't believe his eyes when two or three weeks later he saw the practice advertise in a local paper that "a limited number of NHS registrations" were available (acceptance dependent on examination and no denture cases.)

Feeling he was being discriminated against, he called the practice to demand to know why places were being advertised so soon after his deregistration had been announced.

"You would have thought that those taken off the list would have been offered to come back before the practice advertised," he said at the time.

Mr Boucher claims he didn't get a satisfactory answer during a number of phone calls. But a letter then arrived saying an appointment had been made for an assessment that could lead to re-registration on September 10th.

Mr Boucher, who has been in touch with MP David Laws about the problem, was still not pleased - not seeing the need for an assessment when already registered with the practice.

His complaints didn't fall on deaf ears. In a letter from Mr Tingay, dated July 29th, Mr Boucher received the news that he will remain an NHS patient without the need for an assessment.

A routine appointment has been made for mid-November.