Dental Charges (Hansard, 20 March 2001)

§ Mr. Harvey
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to public Funds of(a) reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental charges paid by the patient to 50 per cent., (b) reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental treatment to £100, (c) reducing the percentage of NHS dental charges paid by the patient to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental treatment to £100, (d) extending free dental check-ups to people aged 60 years and over, and (e) exempting people aged over 60 years from all dental charges. [153063]

§ Mr. Hutton
The estimated costs of making changes to the percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients and the maximum patient charge for the General Dental Service in England based on 1999–2000 figures are:

£million

Change in maximum/patient charge Annual cost

(a) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient for a course of treatment under the National Health Service to 50 per cent. with unchanged maximum patient charge 155

(b) reducing the maximum payment paid by, the patient for a course of treatment under the NHS to £100 with unchanged percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients 35

(c) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient for a course of treatment under the NHS to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum charge to £100 170

(d) extending free dental examinations to people aged 60 and over 19

(e) exempting people aged 60 and over from all dental charges 85

138W
These estimates would be higher if the changes stimulated greater demand for dental examinations and dental treatment.

§ Mr. Harvey
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adult courses of NHS dental treatment cost(a) under £100, (b) £100 to £199.99, (c) £200 to £200.99 and (d) £300 or over in the last year for which figures are available. [153064]

§ Mr. Hutton
The table shows the number of courses of dental treatment for patients aged 18 and over with gross cost in the ranges; under £100, £100 to £199.99, £200 to £299.99 and £300 or more in the General Dental Services for England in 1999—2000. Gross cost is the fee paid to the dentist for the dental treatment and it includes patient charge where applicable.

General Dental Service: number of courses of treatment for patients aged 18 and over by cost of dental treatment for year ending 31 March 2000 in England

Total number of courses of treatment¹

Cost of treatment (thousand)

Under £100 24,036.2

£100 to £199.99 1,544.1

£200 to £200.99 306.7

£300 or more 171.4

Total 26,058.4

¹Numbers include about 140 thousand correction records for resubmitted claims

£million
Change in maximum/patient charge	Annual cost
(a) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient for a course of treatment under the National Health Service to 50 per cent. with unchanged maximum patient charge	155
(b) reducing the maximum payment paid by, the patient for a course of treatment under the NHS to £100 with unchanged percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients	35
(c) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient for a course of treatment under the NHS to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum charge to £100	170
(d) extending free dental examinations to people aged 60 and over	19
(e) exempting people aged 60 and over from all dental charges	85

General Dental Service: number of courses of treatment for patients aged 18 and over by cost of dental treatment for year ending 31 March 2000 in England
	Total number of courses of treatment¹
Cost of treatment	(thousand)
Under £100	24,036.2
£100 to £199.99	1,544.1
£200 to £200.99	306.7
£300 or more	171.4
Total	26,058.4
¹Numbers include about 140 thousand correction records for resubmitted claims