§ 7. Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many dentists, within the past 12 months, have informed his Department that they are unable to accept new patients, apart from children, on the National Health Service.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyDentists practising in the general dental services are not required to keep my Department informed of their practice arrangements, nor do they have lists of patients for whose dental care they have a continuing responsibility.
§ Mr. MoonmanSince about 86 per cent. of all dentists are covered by the National Health Service, will not my hon. Friend probe this matter a little further? I recognise that he does not keep records, but there is a strong feeling that some erosion is taking place in the National Health Service because some dentists cannot accept new patients and are giving priority to children.
§ Dr. DunwoodyI remind my hon. Friend that the position of dentists is different from that of doctors under the National Health Service. Dentists do not have lists as doctors do, and do not, therefore, have a continuing relationship with their patients. I agree that problems arise in certain areas. They arise in some areas because of a shortage of dentists and in others because dentists are not prepared to accept all the patients who come to them for National Health Service treatment. We are watching the situation closely.