§ Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what levels of investment have been made and what initiatives have been taken to promote access to NHS dentists in Shropshire since 1997. [9257]
§ Ms BlearsIn 2000–01 dentists within Shropshire health authority received £9.66 million for providing general dental services.
Shropshire health authority also received £414,000 in 2000–01 to develop a dental access centre (DAC) and £80,000 from the Dental Care Development Fund to promote access to NHS dentistry. The DAC now operates from Shrewsbury, Donnington, Oswestry and Market Drayton and two further sites opening shortly in Ludlow and Craven Arms.
In addition £409,000 has been awarded for 11 "Investing in Dentistry" approvals leading so far to 24,800 additional patient registrations.
The connection between NHS Direct and NHS dentistry is now up and running and all callers to NHS Direct should now be able to get information about where they can find an NHS dentist.
§ Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what investment is planned to promote access to NHS dentistry in Shropshire. [9256]
§ Ms BlearsThe table shows the investment planned to promote access to National Health Service dentistry in Shropshire for 2001–02.
£ Local personal dental service funds: 50,000 Modernisation fund: 207,000 Dental care development fund: 50,000 Quality assurance (to implement clinical governance) 17,000 In addition, the anticipated spend on the Shropshire Dental Access Centre in 2001–02 is £656,000 revenue and £33,000 capital. The exact level of expenditure may vary depending on the opening date of the two new sites, in Ludlow and Craven Arms, and the numbers of patients needed in year.
Following changes in Regulations it is now possible for health authorities to use their own resources to respond to local patterns of unmet demand for NHS dentistry identified in their dentistry action plans.