A crisis in dentistry in north Powys is "simply not acceptable", a politician has said after Wales' health Minister insisted a new contract would free up 5,000 more spaces in the county.

Wales’ Health Minister Eluned Morgan faced questions from Montgomeryshire’s Senedd Member Russell George on the accessibility of dental care in north Powys and throughout Wales. 

Mr George said he has received rising numbers of concerns from constituents who cannot access dental services.

He raised his concerns with Health Minister Eluned Morgan in the Senedd this week, telling the minister that his local constituents cannot access a local NHS dentist.

Mr Morgan said that a new dental contract would create 5,000 new spaces for dental patients in Powys – but Mr George said the contract as it exists is too unpopular with dentists to work as intended. 

Mr George said: “You've talked about the new contract, but, when I speak to dentists, they tell me something very different. 

“They tell me that new contract is actually not helpful because it takes the focus away from regular check-ups, it makes dentists choose between old and new patients, it pays dentists based on out-of-date performance data, and is also funded by a falling amount.

“It's vital that the Government get to grips with this crisis, listen to dentists concerns with the new contract so services that local people need can be provided. I hope that in two years time I don't have to be asking why can't my constituents can't get a NHS local dental appointment.''

According to the British Dentistry Association, access to services for new patients in Wales has more than halved since 2012, dropping to just 15% of practices accepting new adult patients.

Commenting, Mr George added: ''I have been raising this issue for some time, and pre-pandemic the issues within dentistry were not good enough.

''When people contact an NHS dentist, they can be told they will be put onto a waiting list and could be waiting up to three years to be seen or they are offered a dentist away from the local area. For many, this could be up to a two hour round trip. 

"This is simply not acceptable.

''I am glad that the Minister agreed with me that there is a major capacity issues in people being able to access or register with an NHS dentist but what are the Welsh Government going to do about it?”