§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of the population in the Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust area is registered with dentists in the national health service; [80802]
(2) what dental facilities are available within the national health service in the Gosport area; [80800]
(3) how many patients can be given dental care at the national health service treatment centre in Fareham; [80803]
(4) how many dentists are accepting new adult patients within the national health service in the Borough of Gosport. [80801]
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§ Ms BlearsApproximately 40 per cent. of the population in the Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust (PCT) area were registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist at 30 September 2002. This percentage will exclude patients who have not been to their GDS dentists within the past 15 months, as registrations last for 15 months after the end of the month of attendance, and patients who receive dental treatment from other national health service dental services.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority has advised me that NHS services available within the borough of Gosport include:
Nine practices, with a total of 20 dentists.Two surgeries (Rowner and Gosport), with three dentists working between them, serving people with special needs, including those patients needing mental health services, and children with high caries (high decay).Community facilities.It is not possible to quantify the annual activity of the Fareham NHS Treatment Centre. However, the treatment centre can treat 40 patients per day. The centre does not deal with routine dental treatment. Patients attend the centre for emergency treatment or, if they are in the process of having a course of treatments, they would attend the centre specifically for that treatment.
The Strategic Health Authority has advised me that currently no NHS dentists within Gosport are accepting new adult patients. Patients wishing to register with a CDS dentist can obtain details of dentists accepting new patients by contacting NHS Direct.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how the payment to dentists under the national health service relates to the time involved and costs incurred by the dentist. [80730]
§ Mr. LammyDentists' fees are set out in the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) which was set in consultation with the profession. The SDR was designed to deliver, after expenses, a target annual net income (TANI) for dental practitioners with an average commitment to the national health service. The TANI was reviewed annually by the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body on Remuneration (DDRB) who made recommendations on any increase as appropriate.
Since 1994, based on evidence submitted by the Government and the profession including evidence submitted jointly on practice expenses, the DDRB have made pay recommendations based on percentage increases to the gross fees to cover both income and expenses rather than setting a TANI. Since 1999 the Government have accepted the Review Body's recommendations without staging. The current average net income of dental practitioners is considered to be in line with comparable professions.
Discussions with representatives of the dental profession take place regularly, where joint work is undertaken to review any particular fee items that appear to have fallen out of line with current practices.