Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that anyone who requires dentistry work can register with an NHS dentist and receive dentistry work under the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [95667]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 26 October 1999]: We are aware of the existence of problems in accessing National Health dental services in some parts of the country, particularly in some rural areas, which we inherited from the previous administration, and which we have taken positive steps to address through the Investing in Dentistry and Personal Dental Services initiatives.
Schemes approved under the Investing in Dentistry initiative should enable nearly 800,000 patients to access NHS dental services. A first wave of 15 Personal Dental Service pilots began in October 1998, and a second wave of pilots will start later this year. Many of the pilots are in areas where patients have had difficulty finding a NHS dentist.
On the 28 September, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced plans to introduce 30 NHS Dental Access Centres over the next two years and the use of NHS Direct to further improve patients' access to NHS dental care. Further measures to tackle the problem of access will be announced in the Government's Dental Strategy, which will be published later this year.