Ensuring Somerset residents have access to reliable GP and dental services requires urgent reforms and increased funding, local health experts emphasized during the recent “Rebuilding our NHS” event at Taunton’s CIC Centre on May 30. The event, organized by Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington, brought together health professionals and concerned residents to discuss the state of local health services and potential solutions.
Amos presented findings from a wide-reaching survey on dental service access, revealing significant challenges. Nearly 2,100 constituents responded, predominantly aged 35 to 44. The results were stark: 71% of adults eligible for free NHS dental treatment cannot find an NHS dentist, and 64% of children face similar hurdles. Alarmingly, 23% of children have no dental access at all, with 41% relying on private services paid for by parents, who have spent an average of £470 each over five years on treatments that should be free.
Amos stressed: “Taunton and Wellington are especially affected. Only 36% of children here can access an NHS dentist compared to 40% countywide. Some children have never seen a dentist due to cost and limited availability.”
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Jonathan Mynors-Wallis of the British Dental Association and NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board highlighted systemic issues in NHS dental funding. Despite annual underspends of around £10 million in nearby Dorset, the NHS contract terms discourage dentists from utilizing available funds effectively. “Dentistry receives less funding here than almost anywhere else in Europe, and dentists are undervalued by 35% compared to other healthcare professionals,” he noted.
Mynors-Wallis explained that NHS dentists operate as private contractors, lacking capital funding for new or upgraded practices. This creates significant barriers for young dentists aspiring to establish their own clinics. He advocated for contract reform and increased incentives, citing Dorset’s success in raising the value of units of dental activity (UDA) to encourage NHS work.
Sarah Wakefield, Somerset Council’s portfolio holder for adult services, housing, and homelessness, emphasized the need for strategic healthcare infrastructure in new housing developments. “Developers avoid building medical centres because there aren’t enough healthcare professionals available to staff them. This fragmented approach needs addressing with a clear national social contract.”
Dr Lucy Pendered, a retired GP with three decades at Crown Medical Centre, painted a demanding picture of general practice today. Population aging and chronic disease prevalence dramatically increase workload, with extended 12- to 13-hour days becoming the norm. Outdated buildings, deficient IT systems, and staff shortages compound the pressure. Communications inefficiencies often result in patients being shuttled between departments unnecessarily, adding to the strain.
Wakefield called for urgent reforms to adult social care funding, noting that 38% of Somerset’s council tax budget supports care for thousands of vulnerable residents. She warned that upcoming NHS restructuring risks shifting costs onto local authorities already stretched thin, threatening vital community support services run by voluntary groups.
Dr Pendered stressed the necessity of a comprehensive, long-term workforce strategy. “Training a GP takes about ten years, so we need a 30-year plan that transcends political cycles to address shortages properly.”
Mynors-Wallis cautioned against mandatory NHS service requirements for newly qualified dentists without adequate incentives, highlighting the need for fair contracts to retain talent.
Amos reaffirmed his commitment to improving Musgrove Park Hospital, advocating for priority upgrades to its crumbling maternity unit amid increasing pressure from the recent closure of Yeovil’s facility. He concluded: “Despite the challenges, NHS dentistry and health services can be fixed with the right political will and investment. The system, designed during wartime rationing, must evolve to meet 2025’s needs.”
The forum underscored the urgent need for reform, investment, and collaboration to secure Somerset’s healthcare future.
