§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to change current arrangements for patient referrals to the dental reference service at the request of general dental practitioners.
§ Mrs. CurrieWe have no such plans. However, as mentioned in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health", we are consulting about the possible introduction of dental practice advisers in some family practitioner committees. It is expected that examination of patients at the request of their dentists would be one of the functions undertaken by dental practice advisers. Decisions about the introduction of dental practice advisers will be announced in due course.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases have been referred to family practitioner committees for possible service committee proceedings by the Dental Estimates Board in each of the last 10 years in respect of treatment carried out and treatment proposed.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe number of cases taken up with family practitioner committees in England and Wales by the Dental Estimates Board as recorded in the board's annual reports, is set out in the table. Information about the numbers which concerned proposed or completed treatment is not available.
Year Number of treatments 1977 55 1978 77 1979 30 1980 139 1981 259 1982 176 1983 491 1984 384 1985 186 19862 421 1986–87 2141 1 The period of the board's annual report was changed from calendar to financial year, beginning in 1986–87. 2 January to March.