§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what domiciliary dental care is available to handicapped people; what action he is taking to improve the service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungGeneral dental practitioners are obliged by their terms of service to visit and treat a patient whose condition so requires, and for whom they have agreed to provide dental treatment, at an address within five miles of their surgeries. They are paid a fee for such a visit and although they are not required to travel more than five miles, higher fees are paid to encourage them to do so.
During 1978, about 18,000 domiciliary visits for treatment were undertaken in England and the number is increasing every year. A handicapped person whose dental treatment cannot be provided at home may be transported by ambulance to his general dental practitioner.
I am not aware of any difficulty in obtaining domiciliary care where this is required or that the fees, which are reviewed annually with the profession, fail to encourage the provision of domiciliary care.