South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart has learned that Saundersfoot's NHS dentist isn't retiring after all - despite what the Local Health Board has told his 3,000 patients.

Malcolm Ruff is having to vacate his rooms at Saundersfoot's GP clinic, but he has told Mr. Hart that he has no plans to retire.

He had been hoping the Hywel Dda Health Board would have found him alternative premises when his surgery closes in September.

However, despite suggesting alternatives, Mr. Ruff was told there was nowehere suitable.

Patients have now been left dismayed that they could face long journeys to another dentist.

"I have had a number of calls about this from people concerned that they would now be facing a 40-mile round trip to the NHS dentist in Milford Haven," said Mr. Hart.

Saundersfoot resident Geoffrey Titterton, who drives for volunteer driver service Country Cars, was one of the first people to get in touch with Mr. Hart.

"Quite a few of our trips are to the dentist and to go the one in Milford Haven is a 40-mile round trip and the one in Whitland is a 30-mile round trip," he said.

"It's a long way. There are a lot of people in Saundersfoot who couldn't get in with this NHS dentist and this would have meant even more people having to travel."

Mr. Hart added: "I do think a lot of people will have been unnecessarily worried by this news and I shall be writing to the LHB to find out exactly what has gone wrong."

Mr. Ruff says he was slightly surprised when he heard that letters had been sent to his patients informing them that they will be put on the books of other NHS dentists in Pembrokeshire and that he was retiring.

Mr. Ruff wasn't planning on retiring quite so soon as he wanted to finish his current NHS contact in March 2012.

He had gave the Local Health Board plenty of notice that he needed to move when the practice closed in September.

"I told them that if they couldn't find me new premises, I would have to take early retirement," said Mr. Ruff. "I was hoping that might have given the board a jolt, but they seem to have taken it to heart!

"This has been a rather frustrating experience and has left me rather disillusioned with those who run the health service.

"However, I have since been offered a couple of days work on a regular basis by a couple of NHS dental practices in Pembrokeshire, and I have been told that my patients are going to be looked after, so I would like to think there is going to be a satisfactory outcome, although more through luck than judgement."

The Hywel Dda Health Board said it had accepted notice from Mr. Ruff on his NHS contract and he was thanked for his service.

A spokesman said: "We would like to reassure patients that alternative arrangements are being made to ensure they continue to be provided with a full NHS dental service in the local area."