§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 25 March,Official
92WReport, columns 451–52, on people who have been deregistered from their dentist, (1) if the table includes patients deregistered by dentists because of their dissatisfaction with the remuneration system; and deregistrations for what reasons are excluded; [25224]
(2) if the statistical basis for calculating the number of people deregistered by their dentists is the same as that applied by the Department of Health; and what changes in the method of calculation have been made in the last 18 months. [25225]
§ Mr. RichardsWelsh family health services authorities were asked to provide, at fortnightly intervals, the number of child and adult patients for whom dentists have given them written notice to deregister during the previous two-week period. They were not asked to record reasons.
This information is simply recorded and aggregated by the Welsh Office to produce the all-Wales figure and cumulative totals; the procedure has not been changed.
Statistical procedures applied in England are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
§ Mr. HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date dentists were first required to register their patients; and when his Department first received information(a) total registrations with dentists and (b) total deregistrations by dentists from each family health services authority or equivalent body. [25222]
§ Mr. RichardsDentists have been able to register patients since 1 October 1990. The Dental Practice Board first published the numbers of patients registered for each family health services authority in January 1991. Information about deregistrations has been supplied by each Welsh family health services authority fortnightly since 14 August 1992.