Dental demand sees more than 4,500 patients sign up in a single day
Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
More than 4,500 people have already expressed interest in joining a new NHS dental practice set to open in Crewkerne, highlighting the strong demand for local services.
Somerset NHS Trust is working in partnership with DentistryForYou to launch Crewkerne Dental Care at 22 Market Street in the town centre. The practice is expected to open in late May 2026, although a confirmed date has yet to be announced.
An online registration portal, along with a phone option for those without internet access, opened on the morning of 22nd April. Within hours, thousands had signed up.
Initial figures show around 75 per cent of those registrations came from Crewkerne and nearby areas, underlining the level of need locally.
However, due to the high volume of responses, DentistryForYou has temporarily paused the expression of interest process. The company says this is to “ensure patient safety and fairness”, but hopes to reopen registrations in the future.
Dr Bernie Marden, chief medical officer at NHS Somerset, welcomed the response. He said: “I’m pleased to say that three quarters of the people expressing an interest came from the Crewkerne area and surrounding postcodes.
“This practice on its own won’t solve all the issues facing local people, but it is great news for the town and will help thousands more people get to access NHS dental care in the county.”
Elizabeth Fernandez, group manager for DentistryForYou, said the team is looking forward to opening the new site. She said: “We are looking forward to welcoming patients to the new practice in Crewkerne.
“Interest has been high, and we have to limit expressions of interest to ensure that numbers do not exceed capacity. Once the practice is established, we hope to be able to reopen the opportunity for people to express an interest, and we will work with NHS Somerset and other local partners to keep people up to date.”
The practice will not accept walk-in registrations.
Crewkerne Town Council also issued an update on social media, confirming the temporary pause. In a statement, it said: “We’d like to share a brief update regarding the proposed new NHS dental practice.
“DentistryForYou has currently paused the expression of interest process. This is a temporary step, and the firm has indicated that it hopes to reopen the process in due course.
“We understand how important access to NHS dental services is for our community and will continue to share updates as soon as more information becomes available.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Crewkerne was selected as a priority location for the new practice due to a shortage of NHS dental appointments in the area.
( Photos: Pixabay Library 📸 )