§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what conditions are recognised as occupational diseases in dentists working within the National Health Service.
§ Mr. FreemanThere is no list of conditions which are recognised as occupational diseases in dentists working within the National Health Service.
To qualify under the NHS compensation and injury benefit schemes a dentist must show that any condition suffered by him was contracted in the course of his NHS employment and must be attributable to that employment. Each case is considered on its merits.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if under notice FPN 472 general practitioners will be held responsible, in post-treatment disputes with the dental reference service, for any acts or omissions of a dentist working within the hospital or community services if such treatment was provided as part of a course of other treatment for which a practitioner has had to sign a certificate of dental fitness.
§ Mr. FreemanThe obligations on a dentist providing general dental services to make a patient dentally fit are set out in full in schedule 1 of the National Health Service (General Dental Services) Regulations 1973. The guidance given in FPN 472 does not alter these obligations.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, under the arrangements for the funding and payment for dentures and bridges provided through hospital and community dental services under notice FPN 472, who will be responsible for the collection of patient charges and collection of bad debts.
§ Mr. FreemanThe continuing health authority responsibility for collection of patient charges (and bad 87W debts) for dentures and bridges provided through the hospital and community dental service was not affected by FPN 472. Circular HC(FP)(89)5/HN 89/8 issued in March 1989 did, however, provide revised guidance on the calculation of such charges.