HC Deb 07 May 1980 vol 984 c105W
Mr. Sproat

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much, in the latest year for which figures are available, has been spent, under the National Health Service, on gold-work dentistry.

Sir George Young

It is estimated that the gross cost of dental treatment involving the use of gold approved for payment under the National Health Service during the year ended 31 December 1979 was £26 million (England and Wales). This represents gross fees for treatment clinically necessary including the dentists' net remuneration, practice expenses, the cost

NHS MANPOWER
ENGLAND AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 1978
WHOLE-TIME EQUIVALENTS
Directory Employed Staff Total Whole-time Part-time
(wte) (wte) (wte)
Nurses and Midwives(1) 347,499 257,401 90,098
Medical and Dental(2) (3)34,505 26,489 (3)8,016
Ancillary 172,177 111,007 61,170
of which: Catering staff 15,978 8,886 7,092
Domestic staff 59,484 21,701 37,783
Porters 23,849 23,359 490
Administrative and Clerical 100,304 80,591 19,713
Professional and Technical 57,237 47,459 9,778
of which: Technicians 25,291 22,587 2,704
Works and Maintenance 25,443 25,398 45
Ambulance staff(4) 17,520 17,444 76
All directly employed staff: 754,685 565,789 188,896
Independent Contractors(5) Number
General Medical Practitioners(6)(7) 22,651
General Dental Practitioners 11,919
General Ophthalmic Practitioners(6)(8) 7,051
General Practice Pharmacy Contractors 8,764
All NHS manpower: 805,070
1. Excludes agency nurses and agency midwives.
2. Excludes locum staff, hospital practitioners, part-time medical/dental officers (clinical assistants), general medical practitioners participating in Hospital Staff Funds and occasional sessional staff for whom no wte is collected.
3. Includes 1,226 honorary staff.
4. Includes ambulance officers and control assistants.
5. The figures relate to actual numbers. It is not possible to distinguish between whole and part-time.
6. There is a minor element of double counting between general medical practitioners and ophthalmic medical practitioners.
7. As at 1 October 1978.
8. As at 31 December 1978.