HC Deb 30 November 1999 vol 340 cc100-1W
Jackie Ballard

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many vacant posts there are for Community Dental Service dentists; [100501]

(2) how many dentists have been employed in the Community Dental Service over each of the last five years; [100500]

(3) what was the budget for the Community Dental Service for each of the past five years. [100502]

Mr. Hutton

There is no overall community dental service (CDS) budget. The level of investment in the CDS is a matter for individual health authorities to decide in the light of local need and priorities. Funding comes from health authority baseline allocations. Information about spending on CDS, recruitment and vacancies are matters for health authorities and data are not collected centrally. Overall CDS workforce statistics are given in the table.

Staff in the community dental service (England): all figures as at 30 September
Head count
Year Full-time Part-time Honorary Total Whole time equiv. (wte)
1994 740 560 0 1,300 1,030
1995 760 560 — 1,320 1,040
1996 750 630 0 1,380 1,060
1997 740 630 — 1,380 1,090
1998 690 690 0 1,380 1,030

Note:

All figures are rounded to nearest 10

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the new dental phone-and-go schemes will be based. [100503]

Mr. Hutton

Two phone-and-go dental access centres have already opened in Cornwall and Shropshire. A further six will begin to open from the autumn in Wolverhampton, Bromley, Gloucester, Swindon, Worcester, and Manchester. Expressions of interest for further dental access centres are currently being considered and an announcement will be made shortly. Those that are successful will be given financial support to help them work up a full business case.