HC Deb 14 February 2003 vol 400 cc31-3W
Mr. Gareth Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether current dental qualifications from(a) South Africa, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand are recognised for registration as a UK dental surgeon. [96790]

Mr. Lammy

Dentists who qualified in these countries have to sit the General Dental Council's International Qualifying Examination, which was introduced in 2001, to be eligible for registration in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Gareth Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether dental qualifications achieved up to 1984 are recognised for registration as a UK dental surgeon; and if he will make a statement. [96791]

Mr. Lammy

Yes, provided the qualifications are included in section 15 of the Dentists Act 1984.

Mr. Gareth Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for dental surgeons are estimated to exist. [96793]

Mr. Lammy

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister of State (Mr. Hutton) gave him on 8 January 2003,Official Report, column 276W.

In addition to this, there may also vacancies for dentists in dental practices providing general dental services. However, these are independently owned practices and we do not have numbers of such vacancies.

Mr. Gareth Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to improve the system of temporary registration as a dental surgeon; and if he will make a statement;[96794]

(2) how many opportunities for paid employment as a dental surgeon with temporary registration there are in (a) the UK and (b) London; and if he will make a statement. [96795]

Mr. Lammy

This information is not held centrally. The General Dental Council (GDC) approves temporary registrations when a dentist from overseas finds a post where there is appropriate supervision of his or her training and developmental needs. Currently such posts are only found in dental hospitals but the Department is exploring with the GDC and dental professional bodies whether temporary registrations could be approved for dentists wishing to train in the community dental services and in primary dental care practices.

Richard Ottaway

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2002,Official Report, column 1046W, what form the consultation exercise will take; if he will list consultees; when he expects the consultation to end; when in 2003 he expects to publish his draft legislation; and if he will make a statement. [96961]

Mr. Lammy

The form of consultation is laid down in paragraph 9 of schedule 3 to the Health Act, 1999 (c.8) and involves publishing a draft of the Order amending the Dentists Act, 1984. This paragraph also lays down who must be consulted. We aim to publish the consultation document in the summer, with a closing date three months later.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average ratio of NHS dentists to patients was in(a) 1997 and (b) 2000; and what the average is now in (i) England and (ii) North Yorkshire. [98051]

Mr. Lammy

The number of general dental service (GDS) patients registered per GDS dentist in England and North Yorkshire Health Authority at 30 September 1997, 2000 and 2002 is shown in the table.

General dental service: Number of patients registered per dentist1 at 30 September 1997, 2000 and 2002
England and North Yorkshire Health Authority
At 30 September England North Yorkshire
19972 1,599 1,608
2000 1,311 1,366
2002 1,276 1,263

Note:

  1. 1. Dentists counted more than one Health Authority have been counted only once, in the Health Authority where they carry out the majority of their treatment.
  2. 2. Registration data for this year is not comparable with later years due to the change in the registration period.

The number of patients that a GDS dentist sees is dependent on several factors including their amount of commitment to the GDS and the amount of treatment that their patients require.

A patient becomes registered with a GDS dentist when that dentist accepts the patient for treatment. Registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentists within 15 months of their last visit. The number of patients registered per dentist will exclude patients who have not been to their GDS dentist within the past 15 months.

GDS dentists are required to provide a full range of National Health Service treatment to maintain the oral health of the patients that are registered with them for capitation (Children) or continuing care (adults).

The 1997 registration numbers are not comparable to those for 2000 and 2002 because of the reduction in the registration period to 15 months. Previously the period for adult registrations was 24 months and children's registrations lasted until the end of the next calendar year.

Registrations are included in the area of the dentist. The registration rates for some areas may be affected by some patients receiving their dental treatment in a different area from the one in which they live.

Patients wishing to register with a GDS dentist for tratment can obtain details of dentists accepting new patients in their area by contacting NHS Direct.

Patients do not need to be registered with a GDS dentist to get NHS dental treatment. The personal dental services and community dental services provide NHS dental treatment and some patients receive GDS dental treatment on an occasional basis.