§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that dentists entering the United Kingdom are properly qualified.
§ Mr. HayhoeBefore practising in the United Kingdom a dentist entering this country is required to satisfy the General Dental Council that he is properly qualified and his name entered in the Dentists Register. Dentists practising in a member state of the European Economic 449W Community may provide dental services while visiting the United Kingdom without registration for a fixed period provided they are entered on the list of visiting EC practitioners maintained by the council. Family practitioner committees are required to check the identity and registration or listing of any applicant for inclusion in their lists of dentists providing general dental services, including applicants from abroad.
§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are taken by family practitioner committees to ensure that all dental practices in their areas come up to appropriate standards.
§ Mr. HayhoeA dentist is required by the terms of his contract with a family practitioner committee to employ a proper degree of skill and attention, to provide proper and sufficient accommodation for his surgery and waiting rooms and to supply his surgery with suitable equipment and instruments. Where a FPC believes that a dentist may be in breach of those terms of service, or it has received a complaint, it will refer the matter to its dental service committee for investigation. To assist it the FPC may call upon my Department's dental reference service, whose officers are empowered to examine patients, to inspect surgeries and waiting rooms and to provide independent and professional advice. If such an investigation indicates that the dentist has failed to comply with his terms of service the FPC may recommend the issue of a warning, the withholding of an amount from his remuneration, or that the dentist should submit estimates for treatment to the Dental Estimates Board for its prior approval. In addition, the committee may make representations to the National Health Service tribunal where it considers that the dentist should be removed from the dental list.