Dentistry (Hansard, 21 June 2004)

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for dental treatment in each of the prisons in Sussex. [178489]

§ Dr. Ladyman
The most recent returns made to the Department by the two prisons in Sussex indicate that a prisoner at Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Ford who asked on 31 March 2004 to see a dentist would have had to wait one day for an urgent appointment and 30 days for a routine appointment. The corresponding figures for HMP Lewes were six and 30 days respectively.

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have(a) started and (b) ceased to take NHS work for adults in the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area in each of the last seven years. [178306]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
The information requested is shown in the table. Dentists are counted in this reply as doing adult national health service dental work in a financial year if they receive some payment for work on adults in that year.
1271W

General dental practitioners starting or ceasing NHS adult work in Adur Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area

Starting Ceasing¹

1996–97 — 17

1997–98 8 6

1998–99 13 11

1999–2000 15 13

2000–01 23 8

2001–02 20 18

2002–03 13 19

2003–04 26 —

¹Numbers ceasing in 2003–04 cannot be counted until payment for 2004–05 is available.

Notes:

1. A dentist is counted as starting in a financial year if payment is received in that year and if no payment is received in the previous year.

2. Dentists are counted as ceasing work, if they receive no payment in a financial year but receive payment in the previous financial year. Dentists ceasing are counted in the last year of payment.

3. The figures cover dentists working in the general dental service or personal dental service.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children are not registered with a NHS dentist in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [177682]

§ Dr. Ladyman
The information is not available in the form requested.
39,000 children aged under 18 were registered with a general dental service practice in the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust (PCT) area on 31 March 2004.
Some of the children registered will be resident outside the PCT area. Similarly, some children from the area will be registered with dentists who practice outside the area.
The population estimate for Shropshire County PCT is 61,000 children under the age of 18. The difference between the population estimate and registration number is 22,000. However, it should be noted that registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentist within 15 months. Registrations will exclude patients who have not been to their general dental service (CDS) dentist within the past 15 months and patients who receive dental treatment from other national health service dental services. It should also be noted that the figures do not include patients attending the dental access centres which opened during the period and whose patients are not registered.
NHS dental services are also provided by the community dental service, personal dental service, salaried service of the CDS and the hospital dental service. These services do not require the patient to be registered with a dentist before treatment.

§ Norman Baker
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population he estimates have mercury-based amalgam fillings; and what quantity of mercury this represents. [179455]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 18 June 2004]: The adult dental health survey, which covered those aged 16 years and over in the United Kingdom in 1988, reported that 88 per cent. of dentate adults had at least one amalgam filled surface. This represents about 77 per 1272W cent. of all adults (dentate and edentate) aged 16 and over. It is estimated that an amalgam filling comprises between 40 per cent. and 50 per cent. mercury.

§ Dr. Murrison
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions(a) he and (b) senior civil servants at the Department have had with (i) the Treasury and (ii) the Department for Education and Skills regarding the NHS dental workforce review. [178260]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
Discussions have taken place in the last month between officials at the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health and Her Majesty's Treasury about increasing dental workforce capacity.

General dental practitioners starting or ceasing NHS adult work in Adur Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area
	Starting	Ceasing¹
1996–97	—	17
1997–98	8	6
1998–99	13	11
1999–2000	15	13
2000–01	23	8
2001–02	20	18
2002–03	13	19
2003–04	26	—
¹Numbers ceasing in 2003–04 cannot be counted until payment for 2004–05 is available.
Notes:
1. A dentist is counted as starting in a financial year if payment is received in that year and if no payment is received in the previous year.
2. Dentists are counted as ceasing work, if they receive no payment in a financial year but receive payment in the previous financial year. Dentists ceasing are counted in the last year of payment.
3. The figures cover dentists working in the general dental service or personal dental service.