No NHS dentists in Norfolk surveyed by health watchdogs are taking on new patients, according to a troubling snapshot of the dire situation in the county.

Watchdog Healthwatch Norfolk, which is being contacted daily by people unable to get dental treatment, says it is becoming virtually impossible for unregistered people to get NHS non-emergency care.

The organisation, which champions patients, has submitted its alarming analysis of the lack of access to NHS dentistry to a parliamentary select committee - and is calling for urgent action.

They found, as of January this year:

  • Not one Norfolk NHS dental practice was accepting new patients;
  • Only one NHS dentist was accepting new child patients and a second would do a one-off check-up on children, but would not register them;
  • Patients said it was virtually impossible to get NHS non-emergency care if they are not registered with a practice;
  • Practices said they were either at capacity, struggling to get new NHS contracts, or could not find staff to expand their NHS provision;
  • Many dental surgeries now only practice on a private fee-paying basis.

Eastern Daily Press: Judith Sharpe, from Healthwatch NorfolkJudith Sharpe, from Healthwatch Norfolk (Image: Richard Jarmy Photography - @richardjarmy)

Judith Sharpe, Healthwatch Norfolk deputy chief executive, said: "We are being contacted daily by people who are concerned about access to NHS dental care. While there is provision for emergency care, we feel that a more proactive approach is needed targeted towards prevention.

"We hope our evidence to the Health Select Committee can help influence future dental policy and priorities."

Healthwatch Norfolk said almost half of all enquiries made to the organisation between January last year and this month were about dentistry.

Of 50 dental practices in Norfolk asked between January 13 and 16, they found none were taking on new patients and 14pc did not have capacity to take on private patients.

One wanted to extend its NHS lists and was still waiting to hear if that was possible, and one had a waiting list for NHS patients that topped 3,500.

Healthwatch Norfolk has made six recommendations, including the need for an urgent and full review of the NHS dental contract across the country.

A number of the region's MPs have raised concerns about the 'dental deserts', with parts of Norfolk and Suffolk among the worst hit areas in the country.