§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of active registrations of capitation patients for dental treatment in(a) Trafford family health services authority and (b) City and East London family health services authority in the age categories (i) nought to two years, (ii) three to five years, (iii) six to nine years, (iv) 10 to 14 years, (v) 15 to 17 years and (vi) under 18 years for the period January to March; and what was the take-up rate for each age group per 100 local population.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe available information is shown in the table. Figures are available on a quarterly basis. Patients are free to register with a dentist outside the family health services area where they live. The take-up rates 13W shown in the table therefore reflect registrations with dentists in each family health services area and not registrations of each area's residents. Our recent publications, "Improving NHS Dentistry" and "An Oral
Number of capitation patients registered and take-up rate per 100 local population1 at 31 March 1994 Trafford and City and East London family health services authorities Trafford family health services authority City and East London family health services authority Age group Number registered 2Take-up rate per 100 local population Number registered 2Take-up rate per 100 local population 0 to 2 3,284 37 1,980 6 3 to 5 7,107 82 9,059 31 6 to 9 10,620 95 16,343 45 10 to 14 12,550 94 17,224 45 15 to 17 5,873 80 7,854 39 Under 18 39,434 80 52,460 34 Source: Dental Practice Board.
1 Take-up rate per 100 local population is calculated using Office of Population Censuses and Surveys estimated resident population at mid-1992. The take-up rate per 100 local population is the number of children registered with a dentist in the FHSA area expressed as a percentage of the population. This is not a measure of the population of children in an FHSA area registering with a dentist because there is no restriction on patients registered with a dentist outside their FHSA area.
2 Of the relevant age group.
§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 7 July,Official Report, column 318, what research her Department intends to commission to discover the proportion of the population who visit a dentist every six months.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe 1993 General Household Survey included questions about attendance patterns at the dentist.