§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who, under the new National Health Service dental contract, will pay for premises, staff, equipment and materials for National Health Service dentists; and whether there will be a difference between those dentists working on the National Health Service base contract and those employed in the personal dental services. [HL503]
§ Lord WarnerUnder general dental services contracts (including base contract) and personal dental services agreements providers will remain responsible for practice expenses. Under new Section 28Y of the NHS Act 1977, inserted by Section 180 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, primary care trusts (PCTs) will have additional powers to provide assistance and support, including financial support, for providers and prospective providers of primary dental services. Salaried dentists employed by PCTs to perform primary dental services where the PCT is providing the service itself under new Section 16CA(2) will not be responsible for the expenses of the PCT.
§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether each primary care trust will have its own contract terms and conditions for National Health Service dentists working in the personal dental services; or whether the terms will be uniform throughout England. [HL504]
§ Lord WarnerThe General Dental Services Contract Regulations and Personal Dental Services Agreement Regulations will ensure consistent national standards for the provision of primary dental services, but allow local flexibility in the way primary care trusts (PCTs) work with their providers. The draft regulations, which will be published for consultation in 2005, will14WA allow the Secretary of State for Health to give directions to PCTs regarding certain payments to be made to providers under general dental services contracts or personal dental services agreements.
§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the future role of the Dental Practice Board (formerly the Dental Estimates Board). [HL505]
§ Lord WarnerThe Dental Practice Board will be dissolved before October 2005, as part of the Department of Health review of arm's length bodies.
The New Business Services Authority will absorb the functions previously carried out by the Dental Practice Board.
§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Dental Reference Service, currently the watchdog of National Health Service dental services, will continue as a national body in England; and, if not, what new system is proposed. [HL506]
§ Lord WarnerWe value highly the contribution that dentists working in the Dental Reference Service (DRS) make to the delivery of high quality general dental services under the National Health Service and wish to make continued use of their skills and experience under the new contractual arrangements to be introduced for NHS dentistry. Currently these dentists are employed by the Dental Practice Board (DPB). On 22 July we announced plans for reconfiguring the Department of Health's arm's length bodies which provide for the DPB to merge with the NHS Pensions Agency and Prescription Pricing Authority to create a new NHS Business Authority. We are reviewing the future organisation of DRS in connection with the establishment the new authority.