§ Mrs. BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate by health authority the number of patients who will be de-registered from their dentists as a result of the new regulations in(a) numerical and (b) percentage terms. [29160]
702W
Retained and all other fire personnel per brigade by sex since 1993 1992 1993 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 Brigade Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Central Retained 153 3 152 4 150 5 148 7 148 6 Total 409 17 407 18 395 20 401 22 403 20 Dumfries & Galloway Retained 187 1 198 1 186 3 184 4 181 2 Total 304 16 314 17 291 21 293 22 287 20 Fife Retained 94 1 100 1 100 3 100 2 93 3 Total 474 18 478 18 483 21 480 19 476 21 Grampian Retained 438 3 437 4 470 4 416 5 411 8 Total 793 32 795 36 828 33 771 33 771 39 Highland & Islands Retained 381 0 382 1 383 2 382 3 379 6 Total 1,393 36 1,406 39 1,396 44 1,372 47 1,375 53
§ Mr. GalbraithFrom 1 September 1996, the registration period for both adult continuing care and child capitation payments was harmonised to provide patients with a period of continuing dental care for 15 months following each course of treatment. At that time it was estimated that registration numbers might fall by about 15 per cent. as a result of this change.
At December 1997 (the latest date for which figures are available) there were 2,944,047 patients registered with a dentist in Scotland compared with 2,664,988 at the end of 1996–97. According to the earlier estimate about 442,000 patients might lapse from registration. No estimates for individual Health Boards have been made.
Regular attenders will be unaffected by the change as their registration period will roll forward when they attend their dentist.
Dentists are free to re-register any patients whose registrations have lapsed. It is for dentists to decide whether they wish to accept any patient onto their list.