Mr. Terry DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he will publish the latest information in the possession of his Department as to the coverage of dental treatment on the national health service; and whether he will make a statement;
(2) how many dentists, since the inception of the new dental contract, in each regional health authority have ceased to offer treatment on the national health services, are still offering normal treatment on the national health service and have reduced the range of treatment they offer on the national health service.
§ Mr. DorrellInformation is not available to make a direct comparison between the NHS services dentists were offering before the introduction of the new dental contract and those they are offering now. However, the table shows the numbers of dentists practising now.
The number of dentists at 30 September 1990 compared with the number of dentists at 30 September 1991 for each Regional Health Authority is as follows:
Regional health authority Number of dentists at 30 September Difference 1990 1991 Northern 869 881 12 Yorkshire 1,094 1,092 -2 Trent 1,218 1,257 39 East Anglia 605 604 -1 North West Thames 1,512 1,436 -76 North East Thames 1,226 1,222 -4 South East Thames 1,341 1,334 -7 South West Thames 1,240 1,242 2 Wessex 949 939 -10 Oxford 826 828 2 South Western 1,209 1,217 8 West Midlands 1,395 1,396 1 Mersey 764 765 1 North Western 1,232 1,238 6 Total 15,480 15,451 -29