More than 150 Somerset children under the age of 11 had to be admitted to hospital to get teeth removed as the NHS dentistry crisis deepens.

Somerset residents are finding it increasingly difficult to see an NHS dentist, with the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) finding that around 2,000 dentists in England quit in the last 12 months – the equivalent of ten per cent of the workforce.

Labour Party figures in Somerset and Westminster have called for urgent action, blaming the crisis on “12 years of Tory mismanagement of the health service”.

The independent watchdog Healthwatch Somerset has also called for action, describing access to NHS dentists as “a continuing area of concern”.

Figures released by the Department for Health and Social Care show that 165 children under the age of 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction in the last 12 months – with the British Dental Association claiming this is “the most common reason” for children to be admitted to hospital.

The ADG estimates that around four million people across the UK cannot access NHS dentist care, identifying Somerset as one of the “dentistry deserts” where existing NHS dentists are not taking on any new patients.

Somerset health bosses admitted in late January that trying to get NHS dentists to work in Somerset was “like trying to convince a turkey to vote for Christmas”, citing the appeal of private healthcare and the lack of a university in Somerset.

Councillor Leigh Redman, who leads the Labour opposition group on Somerset County Council, has called on health secretary Sajid Javid MP to bring forward a plan to improve dental access across the county.

Mr Redman – who represents the Bridgwater North and Central division – said: “Backlog Britain is holding Somerset back and our children are paying the price.

“From GPs and A&E to courts, passports and driving licences, our country is stuck in a queue.

“And now we know that children in Somerset are ending up in hospital because they can’t get the dental treatment they need.

“We need a government that will prioritise the health and well-being of children and families in Somerset.

“Instead we have a Conservative Government too mired in scandal and fighting amongst themselves to act.”

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting MP added: “What kind of country have we become, when children are forced to attend hospital to have their teeth removed?

“The Conservatives are overseeing an exodus of dentists from the NHS, leaving people who can’t afford to go private unable to get any care at all.

“The longer we give the Conservatives, the longer patients wait. Labour will put patients first and make sure they can be seen on time.”

Healthwatch Somerset, which campaigns for better NHS services on the behalf of ordinary patients, identified dentistry as a key concern within its recent annual report.

A spokesman said: “The lack of dentists taking on new NHS patients in Somerset and across the country has been a continuing area of concern and enquiry since the start of the pandemic.

“Over the past year, 22 per cent of public feedback was about dental services, with many people unable to get NHS treatment.

“We regularly share this feedback with the South West Dental Network, and we keep up to date with the latest information so that we can give local people current, accurate and reliable advice.”