Many people in west Kent do not find it easy to see an NHS dentist.

That is one of the findings of the latest Healthcare Commission's national survey of local health services.

The West Kent Primary Care Trust (PCT), which covers Maidstone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and north Kent, was assessed along with every PCT in England.

It was ranked in the bottom 20 per cent of PCTs for how easy people find it to see an NHS dentist, patients being offered a choice of hospital for their first appointment and how long patients wait to see a specialist.

Forty per cent of respondents said they did not see a dentist as an NHS patient as regularly as they would like.

Out of 507 respondents, 23 per cent said they did not visit a dentist regularly – defined as once every two years.

However, the PCT was placed in the top 20 per cent of trusts in five areas of GP care.

These were offering prompt appointments, giving patients time to discuss their health and medication, offering enough information about medication, giving stop-smoking advice and ensuring patients have copies of specialists’ letters.

Dr James Thallon, the PCT’s medical director, said: “I am delighted patients are generally so satisfied with health services, particularly GP care.

“West Kent PCT is also investing £3.2 million this year improving access to dentistry with new dental services already in place in Staplehurst, Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells, and coming soon to Tonbridge and Larkfield.

“With work going into meeting a target where people will wait no more than 18 weeks from being referred by their GP to having their operation, I expect this to show a rapid improvement next year.”

Dr Thallon said IT problems accounted for the difficulty in offering patients a choice of hospitals, adding that work was continuing to improve the situation.