§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those local health authorities which have ceased to carry out annual dental check-ups on school children.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe current guidance to local health authorities suggests that they should arrange for the screening of teeth of children in state-funded schools at least three times in each child's school life. The Department has no information which suggests that health authorities are not doing so.
§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses were employed in the state education sector in 1992, 1985 and 1979.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe latest information available, which reflects the 20 per cent. increase in general practitioners since 1979 and their increased involvement in child health care, is shown in the table.
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NHS school nurses1 in post at 30 September each year, England Whole-time equivalents2 31979 3,810 1985 3,110 1991 3,050 1 Figures include school health visitors. Statistics on the number of nurses in particular areas of work are prone to errors in employing authorities' coding procedures. The above figures should therefore be treated with caution. 2 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. 3 Figures for 1979 have been adjusted for the reduction in nurses working hours during 1980–81 (from 40 to 37.5 hours per week).