NHS dental access in Somerset has fallen sharply in the months since the General Election, according to new Government figures that show more than five thousand fewer NHS dental treatments have been delivered locally.
Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has criticised the decline, saying residents are being left without the care they need despite repeated Government assurances that access would improve.
Earlier this year he asked Health Minister Stephen Kinnock what steps were being taken to support rural areas like Somerset, where constituents continue to report long waits and difficulty registering with NHS dentists.
The Minister said the Government had delivered 1.8 million additional NHS dental appointments nationally and promised to provide the Somerset‑specific data.
However, the figures later supplied by the Department of Health revealed that Somerset Integrated Care Board delivered 5,559 fewer NHS dental treatments in the seven months to October 2025 compared with the same period before the General Election — a fall of around 4%.
Raising the issue again in the House of Commons, Ashley Fox told the Leader of the House: “I was concerned when the Minister replied that Somerset ICB delivered 5,559 fewer NHS dental treatments in the seven months to October 2025 compared with the same period before the election, that is 4% fewer dental treatments in Somerset under Labour.”
He questioned why dental services were deteriorating locally despite national pledges to expand access.
Speaking afterwards, he said residents across Somerset were still struggling to secure appointments. “Residents regularly contact me because they cannot register with an NHS dentist or are waiting far too long for treatment. In rural communities particularly, access remains a serious problem.”
“The Government promised improvements but the figures provided show the situation in Somerset has actually gone backwards. This is simply unacceptable.”
He confirmed he will seek a meeting with Sue Doheny, Regional Director of NHS England South West, to discuss what action is being taken to improve access and what urgent steps can be taken to reverse the decline.
Responding in Parliament, the Leader of the House said the Government remained committed to improving NHS dental access nationally, while acknowledging the concerns raised about Somerset.
