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Child Abuse
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ensure that statistical information on child abuse in Scotland is compiled and published. [18217]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
The latest information about child abuse cases reported under local authority child protection procedures is available in statistical bulletin
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No. SWK/CP/1996/2, published by the Scottish Office in October 1996. The bulletin was placed in the Libraries of both Houses and a copy was sent to the hon. Member.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to recover NHS payments made to William Duff between 1991 and 1995. [12458]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 24 January 1997]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already directed Greater Glasgow health board to recover the sum of £75,000 from Mr. Duff following the report of the NHS tribunal and other such directions will be following. Consideration is being given to whether any payments which were made to Mr. Duff can be recovered within the terms of the regulations.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will draw on the sums relating to outstanding fee claims withheld from Mr. William Duff to compensate his former patients. [12724]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no statutory power to draw upon sums relating to outstanding fee claims for the purpose of payment of compensation.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the total earnings in fees from the NHS by Mr. William Duff in each year from the time he began practising in the Greater Glasgow health board area. [12725]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: The information requested is listed in the table:
| Gross earnings | £ |
|---|---|
| Year ending December 1988 | 162,000 |
| Year ending December 1989 | 258,000 |
| Year ending December 1990 | 319,000 |
| Year ending December 1991 | 373,000 |
| Year ending December 1992 | 313,000 |
| Year ending December 1993 | 268,000 |
| Year ending December 1994 | 266,000 |
| Year ending December 1995 | 1,000 |
| Total | 1,900 |
Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date Greater Glasgow health board commenced its investigation of the fees claimed by Mr. William Duff.[12726]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 28 January 1997]: Greater Glasgow health board commenced its investigation into fees claimed by Mr. Duff on 14 April 1993 when it received the first of 27 referrals from the Scottish Dental Practice Board.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many of the patients of Mr. William Duff who were interviewed by dental referral officers have received remedial treatment; [12727]
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: This information is not held centrally.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of patients who have had unnecessary treatment carried out by Mr. William Duff; how many of these have had their complaint upheld and received compensation in full; how many have been refused compensation on the grounds of their being time barred; and if he will review these cases. [12728]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: The total number of patients who have received unnecessary treatment is not available. The national health service tribunal found that in 24 cases which were the subject of referrals to Greater Glasgow health board by the Scottish dental practice division, Mr. Duff had provided unnecessary treatment. In a further two cases where complaints were considered by the health board and which were the subject of appeals to my right hon. Friend, Mr. Duff was held to have provided such treatment.
In one of the latter cases my right hon. Friend has directed that a sum be recovered from Mr. Duff for payment to the complainant to meet the cost of remedial treatment, and this has been set at the maximum contribution payable towards a course of NHS dental treatment. A similar direction is under consideration in the other case. In a total of 14 cases, complaints against Mr. Duff have not been considered by the health board's dental service committee because of the lateness of the complaint. In these circumstances, the question of compensation does not arise. There are no provisions whereby the cases which have been determined can be reviewed.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date the Dental Practice Board called in regional dental officers to investigate the claims for treatment submitted by Mr. William Duff; and if he will publish their report. [12729]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: Inspections of Mr. William Duff's patients were first undertaken by regional dental officers on 25 August 1986. On 12 December 1990, Mr. Duff was referred to a dental service committee by Greater Glasgow health board on the grounds that he had not employed a proper degree of skills and attention in respect of a patient. On that occasion, Mr. Duff was found not to be in breach of his NHS terms and conditions of service. In view of the confidentiality relating to health records, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State cannot publish the reports compiled by regional dental officers.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total level of fines imposed upon Mr. William Duff for breach of professional codes of practice; and what plans he has to impose further penalties. [12731]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: In response to the report on Mr. Duff's performance by the national health service tribunal dated 6 February 1996 my right hon. Friend directed Greater Glasgow health board to recover £75,000
28 Feb 1997 : Column: 454
from Mr. Duff by withholding from remuneration or otherwise. The board has also been directed to recover from Mr. Duff up to the maximum contribution towards the cost of a NHS course of dental treatment, at present £325, in the case of one patient. A further direction is under consideration in another case.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will order an investigation into the handling of the case of Mr. William Duff by Greater Glasgow health board. [12732]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans for such an investigation. Mr. Duff was the subject of an inquiry and report by the national health service tribunal which directed that his name should be removed from the dental list of Greater Glasgow health board and not included in the corresponding list of any other health board. My right hon. Friend drew the matter to the attention of the General Dental Council which has now barred Mr. Duff from practising dentistry. In addition, appeals in subsequent cases concerning Mr. Duff which were the subject of investigation by the health board's dental service committee have been determined by my right hon. Friend.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide financial support to Greater Glasgow health board to organise a helpline for ex-patients of William Duff. [13950]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 6 February 1997]: Greater Glasgow health board has no plans to organise a helpline for ex-patients of William Duff. The number of requests for information received from this source would not justify such an initiative.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to reply to the questions from the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill of 24 and 28 January, relating to Mr. William Duff. [17392]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
I replied to the hon. Member's questions today.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average current charge for (a) a crown and (b) root treatment. [12623]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: Patient charges for crowns range from £36.24 to £74.32, depending on the particular tooth, the material used, whether a post is required and whether the crown is free standing or part of a bridge. Patient charges for root treatment range from £18.12 to £43.52. These charges are net of any ancillary treatment.
NHS general dental services are provided free or with partial relief to certain categories of adults and they are also provided free to children.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the limit on the number of patients any one NHS dentist can have registered with his practice. [14032]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 6 February 1997]: Patients are registered under NHS continuing care and capitation arrangements with an individual dentist and not with a dental practice. There is
28 Feb 1997 : Column: 455
no statutory limit on the number of patients a dentist may accept under these arrangements. At 31 March 1996, there was an average of 1,412 patients registered per dentist in Scotland.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the limit on compensation to patients for mistreatment by dental practitioners. [14033]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 6 February 1997]: There is no statutory provision for such compensation, although the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) (Scotland) Regulations, as they apply to complaints made before 1 April 1996, provide for the recovery from a dentist and payment to a person of expenses which, by reason of the dentist's failure to comply with his terms of service, that person reasonably and necessarily incurs in obtaining further treatment. Any such treatment should be obtained under the national health service. The maximum patient contribution for a course of NHS treatment is currently £325.
Since 1 April 1996, the procedures for dealing with complaints and discipline have been separated following the recommendations of the review committee on NHS complaints procedures charged by Professor Alan Wilson. The regulations now deal only with discipline and any question of payment to a person by way of reimbursement of the remedial treatment or compensation would be a matter for consideration as part of the non-statutory complaints procedure.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what safeguards exist to prevent a dentist from falsifying a patient or guardian's signature on forms authorising treatment for under-16s. [14035]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 6 February 1997]: No routine practical mechanism exists at present for verifying signatures on dental payment claim forms but ad hoc checks are undertaken by the Common Services Agency's dental practice division.
(2) how many patients of Mr. William Duff had been told in advance what treatment was being prescribed. [12730]
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