Emergency Dental Services

HC Deb 24 June 1994 vol 245 cc358-60W

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family health authorities have been unable to provide emergency dental services in the period since December 1992.

Dr. Mawhinney

General dental practitioners have an obligation under their terms of service to provide emergency cover to their registered patients. They may also offer emergency treatment to non-registered patients. Family health services authorities can make arrangements for emergency treatment for those patients who are not registered.

Where there are already adequate emergency services available from general dental practitioners, or the community or hospital dental services, there is no need for FHSAs themselves to make arrangements. All FHSAs report that they can help patients contacting them to receive national health service dental treatment.

The available information is shown in the table:

Total number of family health services authorities reporting that they were not providing or did not need to provide emergency dental services in each week since December 19921.
England Week ending	FHSAs
4 December 1992	6
11 December 1992	6
18 December 1992	6
25 December 1992	—
1 January 1993	—
8 January 1993	6
15 January 1993	6
22 January 1993	6
29 January 1993	6
5 February 1993	6
12 February 1993	6
19 February 1993	6
26 February 1993	4
5 March 1993	7
12 March 1993	5
19 March 1993	5
26 March 1993	6
2 April 1993	6
9 April 1993	5
16 April 1993	5
23 April 1993	7
30 April 1993	5
7 May 1993	6
14 May 1993	6
21 May 1993	5
28 May 1993	6
4 June 1993	7
11 June 1993	6
18 June 1993	5
25 June 1993	5
2 July 1993	6
9 July 1993	5
16 July 1993	5
23 July 1993	5
30 July 1993	6
6 August 1993	5
13 August 1993	6
20 August 1993	6
27 August 1993	6
3 September 1993	5
10 September 1993	5
17 September 1993	5
24 September 1993	5
1 October 1993	5
8 October 1993	5
15 October 1993	5
22 October 1993	8
29 October 1993	7
5 November 1993	8
12 November 1993	6
19 November 1993	5
26 November 1993	6
3 December 1993	6
10 December 1993	6
17 December 1993	5
24 December 1993	—
31 December 1993	—
7 January 1994	6
14 January 1994	6
21 January 1994	7
28 January 1994	5
4 February 1994	6
11 February 1994	6
18 February 1994	5
25 February 1994	7
4 March 1994	6
11 March 1994	5
18 March 1994	5
25 March 1994	5
1 April 1994	6

England Week ending	FHSAs
8 April 19942	—
15 April 1994	8
22 April 1994	8
29 April 1994	6
6 May 1994	5
13 May 1994	5
20 May 1994	5
1Data were not collected during the Christmas and new year periods.
2Data received for week ending 8 April 1994 are not comparable to the other data.