House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 1 Nov 2005 (pt 28)

1 Nov 2005 : Column 959W—continued

Child Vaccinations

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the take-up rate of child vaccinations is; and what assessment she has made of the factors which lead some parents not to have children vaccinated. [19992]

Caroline Flint: Information about the uptake of childhood immunisations is published annually in the national health service statistical bulletins. The latest bulletin, NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2004–05", is available in the Library and on the Department's website at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/PublicationsStatisticsArticle/fs/en? CONTENT_ID=4119649&chk=r6rlW4

Quarterly figures on uptake of childhood immunisations are published routinely and available on the Health Protection Agency website at:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/vaccination/cover_sha.htm

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The most recent quarterly figures are for the period April to June 2005.

Since 1991, the Department has commissioned a twice yearly survey to understand parents' knowledge of immunisation, attitudes towards immunisation and experience of immunisation services. Since the start of the survey more than 25,000 parents—mostly mothers—have been questioned and their responses fed back into the programme. Our results suggest that mothers are more strongly influenced by the perceived risk of a vaccine, rather than assessing the overall risks/benefits of vaccinating or not vaccinating their child. This is be because mothers are no longer aware of the risk from the diseases that vaccination protects against.

Chronic Conditions

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in improving services for those with chronic conditions. [20061]

Mr. Byrne: Supporting People with Long Term Conditions—an NHS and Social Care Model", was published in January 2005. Since this publication primary care trusts, supported by strategic health authorities, are working in partnership with local authorities to develop robust improvement plans for taking this forward, with an initial focus on implementing the case management approach to care.

Cued Speech

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publicise and encourage the use of cued speech among the parents of deaf babies. [22159]

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

It is not Governments place to recommend one particular form of communication with deaf babies and children. Through the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme it seeks to empower parents of hearing impaired children so that they can make informed choices about early communication and support options.

The Newborn Hearing Screening Programme has greatly improved the early identification of hearing impairments. This has enabled local services to provide earlier support and appropriate interventions, and parents to get the best information on local options. The screening programme also aims to improve practice throughout services. It works alongside other wider DfES initiatives such as the Early Support Programme.

The Early Support Programme aims to improve the services for disabled children aged 0 to 3 years and their families and has been operating since May 2002. It has produced a Monitoring Protocol for Deaf Babies and Children which, for the first time, offers a national resource to track development and progress over the first 3 years or so after identification of deafness.

Dentistry

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of (a) adults and (b) children have been registered with a dentist in each year since 1997; and what percentage in each case was registered with

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a dentist (i) operating under general dental service contracts and (ii) operating under personal dental service contracts. [18381]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on the estimated percentages of children, adults and the total population who are registered with general dental services (GDS) dentists and personal dental services (PDS) dentists at the end of March 2005 for each year since 1997 has been placed in the Library.

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of five-year-olds have no decayed, filled or missing teeth, according to the latest British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry Survey of the dental caries experience of five-year-old children, in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each primary care trust. [19706]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The percentage of five-year-old children in England with no decayed, missing or filled teeth in the 2003–04 survey was 61.3 per cent.

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The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry survey data by strategic health authority and primary care trust has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of the population was registered with an NHS dentist in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Lancaster and Wyre in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; [20482]

(2) how many patients have been registered with an NHS dentist in Lancaster and Wyre constituency in each year since 1997. [20484]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the percentage of the population in England and Lancashire registered with a national health service dentist is shown in table 1.

Population data is not available by constituency area, but dental registration figures for Lancashire and Wyre are shown in table 2.
Table 1: Percentage of population registered with a NHS dentists in England, Cumbria and Lancashire strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trusts (PCTs) as at 30 September in each year

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004⁽³⁴⁾ 2005⁽³⁴⁾^(5508270035)

England 56 49 49 50 49 49 49 48 48

Of which:

Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 55 50 51 51 50 50 49 49 48

Blackburn with Darwen PCT 60 52 55 55 54 54 52 50 45

Blackpool PCT 61 53 55 55 55 54 52 51 51

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT 58 52 52 50 40 39 40 43 41

Carlisle and District PCT 57 57 54 56 58 56 54 56 55

Chorley and South Ribble PCT 46 42 44 45 46 48 47 50 51

Eden Valley PCT 51 44 42 40 40 38 42 35 37

Fylde PCT 64 58 60 60 57 58 57 69 70

Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 51 44 45 44 43 41 42 37 28

Morecambe Bay PCT 55 50 51 52 52 52 50 48 48

Preston PCT 58 53 52 51 47 47 47 48 51

West Cumbria PCT 52 49 54 56 56 57 54 48 50

West Lancashire PCT 51 45 46 48 46 48 49 51 56

Wyre PCT 62 57 58 60 63 62 62 63 57

⁽³⁴⁾ 2004 and 2005 data includes general dental service and personal dental service (PDS) registrations/PDS patients seen (counts patients seen in the past 15 months for some PDS schemes).
⁽³⁵⁾ 2005 data per population has been calculated on 2003 population data, as this is the most up to date available.
Note:
For 1997–2000, population has been calculated on 2001 population data, as this is the only population data available.
Source:
Dental Practice Board and Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Table 2: Number of patients registered in Lancaster and Wyre constituency as at 30 September 1997 to 2005

Number of patients registered

1997 69,806

1998 65,986

1999 65,061

2000 65,133

2001 61,082

2002 58,430

2003 57,631

2004 56,873

2005 58,426

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004⁽³⁴⁾	2005⁽³⁴⁾^(5508270035)
England	56	49	49	50	49	49	49	48	48
Of which:
Cumbria and Lancashire SHA	55	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	48
Blackburn with Darwen PCT	60	52	55	55	54	54	52	50	45
Blackpool PCT	61	53	55	55	55	54	52	51	51
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT	58	52	52	50	40	39	40	43	41
Carlisle and District PCT	57	57	54	56	58	56	54	56	55
Chorley and South Ribble PCT	46	42	44	45	46	48	47	50	51
Eden Valley PCT	51	44	42	40	40	38	42	35	37
Fylde PCT	64	58	60	60	57	58	57	69	70
Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT	51	44	45	44	43	41	42	37	28
Morecambe Bay PCT	55	50	51	52	52	52	50	48	48
Preston PCT	58	53	52	51	47	47	47	48	51
West Cumbria PCT	52	49	54	56	56	57	54	48	50
West Lancashire PCT	51	45	46	48	46	48	49	51	56
Wyre PCT	62	57	58	60	63	62	62	63	57

	Number of patients registered
1997	69,806
1998	65,986
1999	65,061
2000	65,133
2001	61,082
2002	58,430
2003	57,631
2004	56,873
2005	58,426

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were practising in (a) Lancaster and Wyre constituency and (b) England per head of population in each year since 1997. [20483]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of national health service dentists practising in Lancaster and Wyre and in England. Population data are not available by parliamentary constituency, but the table includes comparable information on NHS dentists by head of population for Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and for England.
General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS)—number of dentists and dentists per population in England and the specified areas as at 30 September each year Number of dentists

1997 1998 1999 2000

England 16,815 17,338 17,863 18,241

Lancaster and Wyre constituency 45 45 46 43

Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 651 671 682 669

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Number of dentists

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

England 18,758 18,979 19,295 19,754 20,857

Lancaster and Wyre constituency 44 46 43 45 54

Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 693 684 690 726 791

Dentists per population

1997 1998 1999 2000

England 2,894 2,816 2,745 2,699

Lancaster and Wyre constituency n/a n/a n/a n/a

Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 2,918 2,834 2,784 2,843

Dentists per population

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

England 2,636 2,616 2,584 2,536 2,402

Lancaster and Wyre constituency n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 2,749 2,793 2,781 2,658 2,440

n/a=not available—population data at constituency area are not available.
Notes:
1. The dentists include principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts are excluded from the data.
2. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. Parliamentary constituency areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory.
3. 2005 data per population have been calculated using 2004 population data, as these are the most up to date available.

	1997	1998	1999	2000
England	16,815	17,338	17,863	18,241

Lancaster and Wyre constituency	45	45	46	43
Cumbria and Lancashire SHA	651	671	682	669

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
England	18,758	18,979	19,295	19,754	20,857

Lancaster and Wyre constituency	44	46	43	45	54
Cumbria and Lancashire SHA	693	684	690	726	791

	1997	1998	1999	2000
England	2,894	2,816	2,745	2,699

Lancaster and Wyre constituency	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Cumbria and Lancashire SHA	2,918	2,834	2,784	2,843

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
England	2,636	2,616	2,584	2,536	2,402

Lancaster and Wyre constituency	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Cumbria and Lancashire SHA	2,749	2,793	2,781	2,658	2,440

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on waiting times for NHS dental appointments. [22620]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 28 October 2005]: Waiting times for appointments at a high street dental surgery are at the discretion of the dentist according to clinical need.

From April 2006, the national health service will be implementing a major programme of dental reforms. Primary care trusts will have responsibility for the local commissioning of dental services, which will help improve access to dental services.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated by (a) NHS and (b) private dentists in (i) 2005 and (ii) 1997. [22622]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 28 October 2005]: The total number of recorded courses of treatment by national health service dentists in the general dental service and personal dental service in England for the years requested are:

Financial year ending March 2005: 33.018 million;

Financial year ending March 1997: 28.617 million.

Some patients have more than one course of treatment.

We do not collect data on the numbers of patients treated privately by dentists.

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