HC Deb 12 December 1985 vol 88 cc753-4W
Mr. Weetch

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting list time for (a) consultation and (b) treatment for orthodontic cases by a consultant in the hospital service; and what is the average cost of (i) consultation and (ii) treatment for orthodontic cases by a consultant in this service.

Mr. Whitney

Information on waiting times in the orthodontic specialty is not available from the sample information which is held centrally. Information on average costs is not available in precisely the form requested. However, for orthodontic cases for 1983 the estimated average cost for an inpatient case was of the order of £600 at 1984–85 prices.

Mr. Weetch

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average fee given for (a) orthodontic diagnosis, advice and study models in the general dental services and (b) an average case of orthodontic treatment also in the general dental services.

Mr. Hayhoe

The fee paid for an orthodontic case assessment and treatment plan is currently £6. A separate fee is not normally paid for study models but where such a fee is paid it is £6.20 (£3.20 for duplicate models). The average fee paid for orthodontic treatment provided for adults and children involving appliances of all kinds and completed in 1984 was £119.64.

Mr. Weetch

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what were the numbers of estimates scheduled for payment by the Dental Estimates Board in the month of October; and what were the corresponding figures for the years 1981 to 1984, inclusive;

(2) what were the numbers of estimates scheduled for payment by the Dental Estimates Board per dentist in each of the months from January to October, inclusive; and what were the corresponding figures for the years 1981 to 1984, inclusive.

Mr. Hayhoe

The information requested is given in the tables:

Mr. Whitney

The requested information is given in table 1 of the booklet "Hospital In-Patient Waiting List at 31 March 1985, England National and Regional Summaries", a copy of which is in the Library.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present length of waiting lists in the Wolverhampton health authority for trauma and orthopaedic surgery, ear surgery, nose surgery and throat surgery, gynaecology and ophthalmology; and how these compare with those of Coventry, Mid-Staffordshire, Central Nottinghamshire, Rugby and Sutton and Merton.

Mr. Whitney

The information requested is given in the table.

(a) Number of estimates scheduled (England)
October Number
1981 2,468,034
1982 2,536,702
1983 2,616,349
1984 2,634,243
1985 2,641,981
(b) Number of estimates scheduled per General Dental Service principal* (England)
Year/Month 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
January 191 178 170 174 181
February 186 187 185 187 184
March 192 191 199 188 186
April 195 201 186 171 168
May 193 193 190 185 188
June 194 195 192 199 180
July 195 186 190 193 191
August 167 184 182 175 200
September 180 182 183 179 180
October 193 192 192 188 185
* Figures for the number of dentists in the general dental service are available only on a six-monthly basis up to 1983 and thereafter, on a quarterly basis. The figures are therefore estimated.