§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost is per patient treated under(a) the Cornwall Personal Dental Services Pilot and (b) the General Dental Service in England and Wales as a whole. [153963]
§ Mr. HuttonIn 1999–2000 the average cost per patient treated under the Corn wall Personal Dental Service (PDS) pilot was £65.50 and under the General Dental Service (GDS) in Cornwall the average was £42.10 per patient. A corresponding average for the GDS in England and Wales is not available because children having only an examination are not separately recorded as their treatment costs are covered in capitation payments.
An accurate comparison of figures is not possible because PDS work differs from the GDS average mix. For example, several PDS pilots deal with specialist dentistry and most do not register patients. The Cornwall PDS pilot includes general anaesthetics, special needs and orthodontic services. It is an access centre and operates through a network of 20 sites across the county, complementing the service provided by local GDS dentists. It has proved very popular with patients and is now seeing about 2,000 patients a month.