The MP for Glastonbury and Somerton has written to the Government demanding urgent action over the worsening crisis in NHS dental care across the constituency.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, 15 October 2025, Sarah Dyke MP told Health Secretary Wes Streeting that there are currently no NHS dentists accepting new patients in either Glastonbury or Somerton.

She said residents are being left in pain, turning to DIY dentistry, or travelling hundreds of miles to find treatment.

"Clare, a constituent from Glastonbury, told me she has called every local dentist but not one is taking on new NHS patients," the letter states. "She has been suffering with dental pain and cannot afford private treatment."

Dyke highlighted government data showing just 30% of adults in Somerset saw a dentist last year — while only 42% of children accessed an NHS dentist, below the national average of 55%. Somerset's average dentist caseload now exceeds 2,200 patients per dentist.

She called for:

• A Dental Rescue Package to incentivise NHS dentists to return
• Flexible commissioning to better meet rural demand
• An NHS dental unit at West Mendip Community Hospital
• More mobile dental vans in rural areas like Somerton

Ms Dyke said she is already working with Somerset NHS Trust and the Integrated Care Board to pursue options for reintroducing NHS dental services in the area.

"The broken NHS dental contract has driven dentists away from the NHS," she said. "The crisis in Glastonbury and Somerton is unacceptable, and I will continue to push until the Government fulfils its responsibility to make sure the people of Somerset have access to the dental care they need."

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