§ Mr. CannTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures the Government are currently taking to ensure the retention of qualified dentists in the general dental service; and if he will make a statement. [1890]
§ Mr. MilburnThis area is under review.
282W
§ Mr. CannTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total amounts claimed for dental treatments from the Dental Practice Board in each of the last five years in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the relationship between these figures and the numbers of general dental practitioners in the same periods. [1894]
§ Mr. MilburnInformation on payments scheduled by the Dental Practice Board for England and Wales is given in the table. Questions relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland respectively. The table includes figures for the number of general dental practitioners on health authority lists.
General dental service: Scheduled gross payments to dentists for item of service and number of dentists—1992–93 to 1996–97 England and Wales England Wales Item of service payments £ million1 Number of dentists2 Item of service payments £ million1 Number of dentists2 1992–93 966.6 15,618 53.4 831 1993–94 884.3 16,020 48.7 858 1994–95 925.3 15,745 49.8 850 1995–96 931.5 15,998 49.5 855 1996–97 951.3 16,387 51.1 913 1 Most child treatments were paid for through capitation payments until September 1996. Therefore the item of service figures do not give a true reflection of the amount of child treatment carried out. The figures include entry payments. 2These figures are a headcount of the number of different dentists on Health Authority lists. They exclude community salaried and hospital dentists.