JUST three of Dorset's 99 NHS registered dental practices are taking on new patients, an investigation has revealed.

Access to NHS dentistry has been one of the most significant issues raised with Healthwatch across England over the last 18 months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than half of the enquiries dealt with by Healthwatch Dorset this year have been about NHS dentistry.

People have reported that they are unable to find a dentist to get routine or urgent dental care, with many experiencing significant and worsening pain due to delays in treatment.

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Over the last six months Healthwatch Dorset has seen an increase in enquiries from people trying to get dental care for their children - with just 13 clinics accepting children as new patients.

From September to November 2021, a team of Healthwatch Dorset volunteers contacted every NHS registered dental practice in Dorset to investigate the situation - 74 dental practices responded, six did not respond because they were no longer treating NHS patients, and 19 did not respond, despite being called three or more times, and being sent a letter about the research.

The findings are published in a new Healthwatch Dorset report, Accessing dental care in Dorset, which clearly demonstrates why the public are raising concerns.

Only four practices said they were taking on new NHS patients who were being treated for cancer. Another five said they would see people receiving cancer treatment, but only if they were referred and/or had additional needs, for example, a disability or diagnosed mental health condition, under the discretion of the dentist.

Only 18 (25 per cent) of the dental practices that responded had a waiting list for NHS patients; 48 (65 per cent) did not. Waiting times varied and some practices did not know when they would open their waiting list.

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 across England.

"Since we carried out this research, NHS England has announced £50 million of funding to secure up to 350,000 additional NHS dental appointments by the end of March 2022. 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. However, ongoing reform is required, and we look forward to working with NHS England to help them improve access to NHS dentistry for local people."