§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Baroness Hooper on 17th December (col. WA 50) what criteria are used by the 31 per cent. of dentists in Greater London who are being selective in their acceptance of NHS patients.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hooper)We published the results of the recent survey into NHS dental provision on 10th January. Not all dentists provided information about the ways in which they were being selective in their acceptance of patients for NHS treatment. Of those who did, including those in Greater London, the following picture emerged. About a quarter of dentists not accepting child patients said that they would not accept children requiring root treatments. Almost all the other respondents said that they were not taking on children who require extensive treatment and/or those who are presented with extensive caries. The majority of dentists not accepting adult patients were not doing so where they required extensive treatment, although a minority also mentioned patients requiring denture fitting and/or denture repair. About 15 per cent. who were not taking on new adult patients said they were not doing so because their NHS lists were full. The remainder gave as their reasons dissatisfaction with remuneration and the new dental contract. We have already agreed with the General Dental Services Committee that root treatment will be removed from capitation and returned to payment by item of service with effect from 1st March.