"From Black to White"

HC Deb 09 May 1988 vol 133 cc41-2W

Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many copies of the recent dental postgraduate medical video entitled "From Black to White" were made and distributed; at whom they were specifically targeted; and what was the nature of the final distribution;

(2) what instructions he has given to dental reference officers in respect of the new treatment philosophy outlined in the dental video entitled "From Black to

	1980–81	1986–87	Change
	cash £ million	percentage	cash £ million	percentage	cash £ million	percentage
Total	98.2		147.3
Medical Research Council	92.9	94.6	137.6	93.4	+44.7	+48
NHS Locally Organised Research	5.3	5.4	9.7	6.6	+4.4	+83

White"; if his Department has issued any guidance in relation to the use of the dental probe in examinations as recommended in the video; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what was the total cost of producing and distributing the dental postgraduate medical video entitled "From Black to White"; and if this cost will be met out of additional resources or out of existing allocations to postgraduate dental education.

Mrs. Currie

[holding answer 29 April 1988]The video "From Black to White" is the first in a series being produced by the British Postgraduate Medical Federation on behalf of the Department as a distance learning programme for the continuing postgraduate education of dentists. It is specifically targeted at those who do not regularly attend postgraduate training courses. Some 13,150 copies were made and are being distributed to practices providing treament under NHS general dental services in Great Britain at a cost of approximately £100,000.

The programme is being funded through additional money specially allocated to help in implementing the report of the committee of inquiry into unnecessary dental treatment was concerned that dentists should be encouraged to adopt a preventive approach. Whilst, as the committee pointed out, criteria for clinical intervention are primarily a matter for the profession the Department is taking a number of initiatives, of which production of the new video series is one, to encourage dentists to undergo regular updating training.

Dental reference officers are provided with suitable training to enable them to keep up to date with current clinical developments including minimal intervention techniques and methods of prevention. They have also been given guidance on the use of probes in dental examinations.