§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if a dentist is still required by his terms of service within the National Health Service to send estimates in within 28 days of completing dental work; and why the 60W dental estimates board in Eastbourne permitted over-prescribing for 12 months in the case of the Hertfordshire dentist who was fined £50,000 in September.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:A dentist is required by his NHS terms of service to submit estimates to the dental estimates board within a month of completion of treatment. The dental estimates board referred evidence of prima facie breaches of terms of service to the Hertfordshire family practitioner committee in July 1980 and September 1981. The FPC considered that these were not of such a serious nature as to warrant further investigation. The 10 cases, reported in the press in September, which were the subject of the report of the hearing on 31 March 1982 were referred to the FPC by the DEB over a period from November 1981 to February 1982. In the interests of accuracy, I should tell the hon. Member that, contrary to the impression given in the press reports, the £50,000 fine has been collected.