§ 1. Miss Burtonasked the Minister of Health how many sessions in consultative dental surgery are available for the population of the Coventry and South Warwickshire area; whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction in this area over the inadequacy of the consulting dental service; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Miss Patricia Hornsby-Smith)Consultants hold the equivalent of one half-day session a week and senior hospital dental officers the equivalent of 10 half-day sessions. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any dissatisfaction in the area or of any waiting list.
§ Miss BurtonIs the hon. Lady aware that there is dissatisfaction in Coventry over the time that people have to wait for certain dental treatment? Is she 2 further aware that constituents have written to me saying that they can obtain this treatment more quickly if they go to private dental practitioners? Would the hon. Lady be prepared to look into the matter?
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithThe hospital management committees, on the advice of their medical advisory committees and of the hospital dental staff, have both recently stated that the present staffing arrangements for consultant dentistry are adequate and that they have no waiting list. However, if the hon. Lady has any particular cases in mind, I shall be only too happy to look into them.