Survey reveals crisis in NHS dental service

The claim was made following a survey of the Ringwood North ward which revealed hundreds of residents, including many children, are unable to find an NHS dentist in the area.

As a result of the findings, ward Councillor Colonel Terry Scriven is holding an urgent meeting with health chiefs.

Cllr Scriven said the survey, carried out by the local Liberal Democrat party, found that most people were getting no dental treatment, some were having to travel as far as Bournemouth or Southampton, while others were being forced to go private.

He said only two of the 32 practices in the New Forest were accepting new NHS patients.

Cllr Scriven described the situation as "scandalous" and is meeting New Forest Primary Care Trust (PCT) chief executive John Richards.

Health bosses say the problem was made worse after the collapse of plans to expand a dental practice due to recruitment problems.

However Cllr Scriven said there appeared to be no money in the PCT budget or plans for it to address a "critical situation for many families".

"People who cannot afford it are having to go private to get dental care for their children," said Cllr Scriven.

"It's disgraceful that children cannot get an NHS dentist."

Cllr Scriven, who was elected to the council last month, added: "We are being left behind in Ringwood and nobody has said anything."

A spokesman for New Forest PCT said it had agreed expansion plans for a dental practice in Ringwood earlier this year but it had difficulty finding suitable recruits and withdrew.

"Although the PCT acknowledged this was a setback, we have been reviewing the options for Ringwood and exploring ways to improve access to NHS dentistry," the spokesman said, adding it would be responding to the issues Cllr Scriven raised.

The Echo revealed in May that up to one in five Hampshire and Isle of Wight dentists had rejected new NHS contracts, reducing the amount of work carried out under the NHS.