Mr. Gandar Dowerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that, in Caithness, school children under 15 years, suffering from dental pain, are being obliged to wait three days for dental 85W treatment, owing to the school dentist having to visit all schools in Caithness and that school children have had to travel to places, at which the school dentist was engaged, to get relief; and what steps he will take to ensure that local dentists, who have enrolled under the National Health Service, will accept such children for treatment in the absence of the school dentist.
§ Mr. WoodburnI have seen Press reports about this matter but no representations have been addressed to me by Caithness County Council, who, as education authority, have a duty to arrange86W for the dental treatment of school children in their area.
Dentists in private practice are not obliged to give any priority to school children for treatment under the National Health Service arrangements, but it is open to the education authority, as part of their school health arrangements, to arrange with such dentists so that their services will be available to school children. An additional dentist is taking up practice in the area shortly and this will ease the situation. I am arranging for an officer of my Department to revisit the area.