DENTAL reform is 'urgently' needed in Dorset as patients in the county struggle to get the care they need with only three practices taking on new patients, according to new research.

Healthwatch Dorset concluded from an investigation that only three of Dorset’s 99 NHS registered dental practices are taking on additional NHS adult patients and only 13 were accepting new child patients; two of which would only do so in an emergency.

The health watchdog conducted the research after a large increase in enquiries about dentistry in the county over the past 18 months and has called for reform following the findings.

Louise Bate, Healthwatch Dorset Manager, said: "This snapshot research gives a clear picture of the situation with access to NHS dental care in Dorset at the end of 2021.

“It reflects common issues that continue to be raised with us by the public and with other local healthwatch groups across England.

“Ongoing reform is required, and we look forward to working with NHS England to help them improve access to NHS dentistry for local people."

From September to November last year, a team of Healthwatch Dorset volunteers contacted all 99 of Dorset’s NHS registered dental practices to investigate the situation.

A total of 74 dental practices responded, six did not because they were no longer treating NHS patients, and 19 did not respond at all despite being called multiple times and being sent a letter.

Healthwatch Dorset also found six of the 74 dental practices who responded were taking on women if they were pregnant and only four were taking on residents who were being treated for cancer.

Since the research was carried out NHS England has announced £50 million of funding to secure up to 350,000 additional dental appointments by the end of March.

Ms Bate added: “We welcome this funding and we are pleased that children, people with learning disabilities, autism, or severe mental health problems will be prioritised for treatment.”

Following the findings Healthwatch Dorset is calling for ‘more urgent dental care’ to be made available, dentists to be advised to ‘make places available for children without restrictions’ and urge practices to provide ‘places for people who are pregnant or undergoing cancer treatment’.

The watchdog also called for ‘clearer public information and better communication’ and urged the Government to ‘speed up dental contract reform’.

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