§ 12. Mr. Mark Oaten (Winchester)What plans he has to improve access to NHS dentistry. [115159]
§ Ms StuartI hope that Opposition Members will cheer equally loudly when they see the extra allocation for health authorities.
The investing in dentistry initiative will generate up to 900,000 extra patient registrations, and by the end of this year there will be about 40 dental access centres in the areas that need them most. We are also implementing a new scheme to reward and extend dentists' commitment to the NHS.
§ Mr. OatenIs the Minister aware that in large parts of the country it is almost impossible to gain access to an NHS dentist? How much of last week's new money will be spent on trying to reverse that trend?
§ Ms StuartWe now have a record number of extra dentists. In the last 12 months, the number has increased 218 by 480 to 17,746. The real issue, however, is not just the total number of dentists, but their commitment to the NHS. We have accepted all the recommendations of the doctors and dentists review body, which means a 3.3 per cent. increase in dentists' remuneration, along with the package rewarding extra commitment to the NHS. That amounts to some £17 million. In the current year, a total of some £50 million extra will be spent on NHS dentistry.
§ Dr. Doug Naysmith (Bristol, North-West)As my hon. Friend will know, following guidelines issued by the General Dental Council in 1998, the use of general anaesthesia in dental practices has virtually ceased. That, however, leaves the problem of patients who suffer from anxiety which must be controlled. The best method is through sedation techniques, but the British Dental Association has pointed out that not enough dentists are trained in such techniques, and that there are not enough facilities for them to be trained. Is my hon. Friend aware of that, and, if so, can she say what the Government are going to do about it?
§ Ms StuartI thank my hon. Friend for raising the issue. Because there is some anxiety in the profession, we have set up a review body which will shortly recommend guidelines on the best way in which to proceed.
§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)I want to be kind to the hon. Lady. Will she join me in congratulating South Cheshire health authority on its proposal for a dental access scheme, which is currently out for consultation and which, if implemented—providing a new centre in Macclesfield, and others elsewhere—will dramatically increase the number of people who can gain access to NHS dentistry? Does she agree that healthy teeth can lead to a healthy nation?
§ Ms StuartI am delighted that, in being kind, the hon. Gentleman did not feel that he had to be cruel first. I hope that he will welcome the extra allocation of more than 8 per cent. to his health authority.
Some six dental access centres are currently in operation, and about 34 applications have been made. The centres will improve access for those who cannot be registered. We are also supporting the establishment of schemes in schools to encourage them to register with dentists in areas where fluoride is not regularly put into the water. We also want to increase the use of such simple devices as tooth brushes. The hon. Gentleman is right: we must start with children, and healthy teeth are the beginning of overall health.