HC Deb 24 February 1998 vol 307 cc170-1W
Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average turnover derived solely from the NHS for dental practices undertaking NHS work in the last year for which figures are available. [30238]

Mr. Milburn

The average gross fee earnings of a General Dental Service (GDS) dentist from National Health Service work in the year ending 31 March 1997 was £84,758. The average is for those principal dentists who have a contract with a health authority, who provide some treatment within the GDS throughout the financial year and who have received a payment for treatments carried out in the last six months of the year. As self employed healthcare workers, GDS dentists are able to do as much as or as little NHS treatment as they wish.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase fee levels for NHS dentistry. [30236]

Mr. Milburn

We have accepted the recommendations of the 27th Report of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body for dentists' remuneration. As a result fees will increase for work begun from 1 April 1998. Officials are calculating the feescale changes and will be consulting the British Dental Association in the near future.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average income of dental practitioners undertaking work which is(a) solely and (b) principally funded by the NHS. [30239]

Mr. Milburn

None.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total NHS expenditure on dentists' fees in the current financial year; and what was the total expenditure in each of the last four years. [30237]

Mr. Milburn

The table sets out gross and net expenditure in the General Dental Service (GDS) in England for the financial years 1993–94 to 1996–97. For 1997–98 the latest estimate is for GDS expenditure of £1,335.7 million gross, £955.7 million net of patient charges. Gross expenditure includes all fees and allowances payable to General Dental Practitioners, which cover both their income and practice expenses, together with supplementary costs such as employers' superannuation contributions and payments for salaried dentists who provide GDS care in certain localities.

General Dental Service: expenditure for the financial years 1993–94 to 1996–97
£ million
Year Gross Expenditure Net Expenditure
England
1993–94 1,221.7 854.7
1994–95 1,279.4 896.1
1995–96 1,289.5 908.4
1996–97 1,323.1 940.1