§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy not to implement the regulations which reduce from 24 months to 15 months the dental registration period. [21645]
§ Mr. MilburnThe National Health Service (General Dental Services) Amendment (No. 2) Regulation 1996 SI 1996/2051, which implemented the changes to the registration period, were laid before Parliament on 6 August 1996, and came into force on 1 September 1996.
We have no plans to review this policy, which will improve value for money by focusing payments to dentists on those patients receiving active care from them.
Any savings generated will be put back into the General Dental Service, in a targeted way to achieve better oral health for the population.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the numbers of people who will be deregistered from dentists' lists in 1998 as a consequence of the implementation of the regulations reducing the dental registration period from 24 months to 15 months. [21647]
§ Mr. MilburnI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 24 November 1997,Official Report, column 423.