§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the average cost of a course of NHS dental treatment per patient liable to full charge in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe information is shown in the table.294W
General Dental Services (GDS)—England Year Patients liable to full charge Patients wholly exempt or remitted Average Cost (£) Average Cost (£) 1979 13.32 15.48 1980 16.26 19.20 1981 18.13 26.14 1982 19.38 27.71 1983 20.10 34.42 1984 21.49 37.07 1985 21.70 39.19 1986–87 23.46 42.64 1987–88 25.84 45.13 1988–89 28.46 49.23 1989–90 30.24 47.48 1990–91 n/a n/a 1991–92 31.83 51.69 1992–93 n/a n/a Notes:
1. Data from 1979 to 1985 are shown in calendar years. Thereafter they are shown in financial years.
2. Data for 1990–91 are not available as the introduction of the new dental contract interrupted the data series.
3. Data for 1992–93 are not yet available.
4. The small number of courses of treatment where charges were partly remitted has not been included in the calculations.
5. Before 1 January 1989 dental examinations did not attract a patient charge. Therefore, a course of dental treatment which included only a dental examination did not attact a patient charge. Such courses of dental treatment have been allocated in this table to the appropriate category whether the patient was liable to charges or not.