NHS Dentistry (Hansard, 7 January 2003)

§ Geraldine Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage recruitment of NHS dentists. [87721]

§ Mr. Lammy
The number of dentists practising in the general dental service has risen consistently in recent years. Most of these dentists spend most of their time on national health service work. However, access to routine NHS dentistry can be an issue in some parts of the country.
A number of initiatives have been implemented to address this shortfall. New ways of working and new ways of paying dentists will be explored in the Options for Change field sites, which have been identified by the NHS Modernisation Agency, working closely with the 201W profession. The learning gained from these field sites will be used to inform future changes to NHS dentistry as a whole.
The report "Better Opportunities for Women Dentists" reflects changes in the work force and aims to make NHS dentistry a more attractive profession for women.
Doctors' and Dentists' review body recommendations on increases to gross fees have been implemented in full since 1999.

§ Geraldine Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists are accepting NHS patients in(a) Morecambe, (b) Lancaster and (c) Carnforth. [87722]

§ Jacqui Smith
The information asked for is not collected centrally in the format requested.
The number of practices taking on new patients in the Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust (PCT) was, estimated at August 2002, 29 out of 57 practices or 51 per cent. The average for England is 45 per cent. However, 98 per cent. of the PCTs population was within a five mile (urban) and 10 mile (rural) radius of dentists accepting new patients.