§ Lord Colwynasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many deaths were associated with an anaesthetic for a dental procedure in each year from 1970; and how many of those deaths in each year were associated with:
- (a) a dental practitioner working alone;
- (b) two dental practitioners working together;
- (c) a dental practitioner and an anaesthetist;
- (d) a dental practitioner and a general medical practitioner [HL1668]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)Information is not available to answer (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the noble Lord's question before 1991 and data since then are not complete, as this information is not routinely collected. There were three deaths in 1999 which have been associated with general anaesthesia for dental treatment. However, inquests into these cases have yet to be held and in one case legal proceedings are pending.
Our records show that there have been the following numbers of deaths associated with general anaesthesia for dental treatment since 1970:
78WA
Year Number 1970 9 1971 12 1972 9 1973 7 1974 13 1975 5 1976 9 1977 8 1978 8 1979 9 1980 5 1981 4 1982 7 1983 5 1984 3 1985 4 1986 4 1987 3 1988 1 1989 3 1990 2 1991 1 1992 6 1993 1 1994 0 1995 0 1996 1997 1 1998 3 1999 3 For the years from 1991 the incomplete information we have shows that deaths were associated with:
Dental practitioner alone Two dental practitioners Dental practitioner and an anaesthetist Dental practitioner and a general medical practitioner 1991 1 1992 1 3 1993 1 1994 1995 1996 2 1997 1 1998 1 2