§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the total number of courses of treatment provided by general dental practitioners in Scotland in 1976 cost less than the maximum charge to the patient.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:Exact figures are not available, but of the total number of examinations and treatments provided by general dental practitioners in Scotland in 1977, approximately 62 per cent. involved courses of treatment costing less than £12, the maximum charge to patients during that period, and a further 20 per cent. related to examinations, for which no charge is made to the patient, not followed by further treatment.
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of general dental services in Scotland, provided under the National Health Service, was financed by patients in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:The proportion of total costs of the general dental services in Scotland recovered by patients' charges 239W in each of the last five calendar years was as folows:
Per Cent. 1972 21.3 1973 21.9 1974 18.9 1975 15.5 1976 17.5
§ Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average cost of each item of service provided by dental practitioners in Scotland in 1976 ; and what proportion of this was accounted for by administration of the service.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:This information is not available in the form requested, but the average cost per case treated under the general dental services in Scotland in 1976 was £6.94.
The administrative costs of the Scottish Dental Estimates Board, which account for the greater part of total administrative costs, represented under 4 per cent. of total expenditure on the general dental services.
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of dental services in Scotland are provided by (a) general dental practitioners working within the National Health Service, (b) dental practitioners in the private sector and (c) other government financed agencies such as the School Dental Service and dental hospitals.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:Precise information on the extent of dental services provided privately in Scotland is not held by my Department. National Health Service expenditure in Scotland on the general dental services during the financial year 1976–77 was approximately £19 million, net of charges to patients, and £6 million for the school health service and the dental hospitals.