Mr. Ted Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the light of the fact that many National Health Service patients are being refused treatment by dentists in Darlington unless they are prepared to pay as private patients, what steps he proposes to take to enable dental treatment to be obtained under the National Health Service.
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§ Mr. EnnalsI have written personally to all general dental practitioners urging them not to make patients suffer because of disagreement between the British Dental Association and my Department. In spite of this appeal and my attempts to resolve the disagreement, some dentists are refusing to provide certain treatments under the National Health Service. The advice I would give to patients who have difficulty in finding a dentist to treat them under the NHS is to contact the administrator of their local family practitioner committee. While he has no power to compel a dentist to accept a particular patient, he will do his best to help. In the meantime, I am continuing in my efforts to bring the dispute to an end.