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17 Mar 2006 : Column 2554W—continued
Dentistry
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of dental activity she estimates were provided by dentists operating (a) personal dental services contracts and (b) general dental services contracts between 1October 2004 and 30 September 2005. [36436]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The system of monitoring general dental services (CDS) contracts and personal dental services (PDS) agreements on the basis of units of dental activity will begin from April 2006. Units of dental activity are a measure of the courses of treatment provided by dentists, with different weightings to reflect the relative complexity of three broad categories of courses of treatment.
For dentists working in the CDS during the reference period 1 October 2004 to 30 September 2005 who have a current GDS contract or PDS agreement, the Dental Practice Board has used data on non-orthodontic courses of treatment, together with assumptions about reasonable numbers of examinations for registered children who have had no other treatment reported, to produce recommended levels of units of dental activity for 2006–07, which will be subject to a five per cent, reduction. Using this methodology, the total estimated units of dental activity for the reference period were 73.4 million.
For dentists with PDS pilot agreements, the Dental Practice Board has provided primary care trusts with available data on courses of treatment reported during the reference period, with an estimated conversion to units of dental activity. It is not possible to estimate the total units of dental activity provided during the period, as the data are not complete and there is often a
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significant time lag between activity taking place and being recorded. Activity at the start of a PDS scheme may also not be typical of ongoing activity.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices had recourse to the NHS arbitration process in each of the last five years. [49847]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No dentists have sought to make use of the national health service arbitration process over the last five years.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon) of 2 February 2006, Official Report, column 715W, on dentistry, if she will make a statement on the review of children's dental health the National Screening Committee is undertaking. [55886]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 6 March 2006]: The national screening committee has commissioned an evaluation of dental screening in schools, with particular regard to its effect in reducing dental decay and improving attendance at general dental practices. At the same time, we are undertaking a wide-ranging programme of reforms to national health service dentistry to improve access to services for people of all ages. Implementation of these reforms will provide a sound basis for identifying the models of service that most effectively meet the oral care health needs of children.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on the number of NHS dentists of the new contracts. [55844]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The new contracts are not in themselves expected to have a significant effect on the number of national health service dentists. The current indications from the NHS are that the great majority of NHS dentists will agree new contracts.
From April 2006, primary care trusts (PCTs) will have devolved responsibility and ring-fenced budgets for commissioning primary dental services. This means that if a dentist chooses not to take up the new contract, the resources stay with the PCT to be re-invested in local dental services.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on NHS dentistry services in North Yorkshire. [57417]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Across the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire strategic health authority (SHA) area the number of general dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS) registrations/PDS patients seen has increased by 26,994 (3.2 per cent.) between December 2004 and December 2005. This rate of increase is above the national average for England. There has been an increase of 45 in the number of GDS and PDS dentists working in the SHA area in the same period.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people who will be registered with NHS dentists in each of the primary care trusts in Gloucestershire in each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement. [57578]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an estimate of the number of people who will be registered with national health service dentists in each of the primary care trusts in Gloucestershire in each of the next three years.
The current system of NHS registration measures the numbers of patients who attend an NHS dentist at least once within the most recent 15-month period. Current levels of registration are shown in the table. The dentistry reforms being implemented from April 2006 are designed to promote new ways of working that will enable dentists to see a greater range of patients within a given period.
Number of people registered with an NHS dentist in each of the primary care trusts in Gloucestershire as at 30 September in each specified year is shown in the following table.
| Primary care trust | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham and Tewkesbury | 65,832 | 63,742 | 62,221 |
| West Gloucestershire | 62,391 | 65,265 | 69,495 |
| Cotswold and Vale | 67,377 | 67,416 | 70,959 |
Notes:
1.Personal dental service (PDS) schemes have varying registration periods. To ensure comparability with corresponding general dental service (GDS) data, PDS registrations are estimated using proxy registrations, namely the number of patients seen by PDS practices in the past 15 months. There will be a break in the registrations series at the point at which PDS schemes were introduced as the proxy registrations build up. Falls in registration rates will be particularly pronounced in the financial year 2004–05, when the majority of PDS schemes were introduced.
2.Data for 2003 and earlier do not include those PDS schemes that do not have any registrations, for example, dental access centres, and is therefore not directly comparable with 2004 and 2005 data.
Source:
Dental Practice Board
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to increase availability of NHS dentists in Haltemprice and Howden constituency. [57859]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Across the East Yorkshire primary care trust (PCT) area the number of general dental service (GDS) and personal dental service (PDS) registrations/PDS patients seen has increased by 2,003 (2.9 per cent.) between December 2004 and December 2005. This rate of increase is above the national average for England. The number of GDS and PDS dentists working within the East Yorkshire PCT has increased by six. The PCT continues to work with local dental practices both in supporting them in moving over to the new PDS contract and to encourage further growth.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from dentists on the implementation of the new dental contract in Staffordshire. [58099]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
The Department has received a number of representations from stakeholder organisations and from individual dentists about the new contractual arrangements.
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The British Dental Association (BDA) has made recent representations about the contractual requirement for dentists to carry out an agreed number of (weighted) courses of treatment or units of dental activity in return for their guaranteed annual contract value.
The Department has indicated to the BDA that we regard the new contracts as offering a good deal for dentists. They will have a guaranteed annual contract value based on their current national health service earnings, which give an average net income of £80,000 per year for a committed NHS dentist, for at least five per cent, fewer (weighted) courses of treatment compared with the current general dental services system. The Department has expressed concern that the BDA appears to be overlooking the evidence of the personal dental services pilots, which have shown that abolishing the fee-per-item remuneration system, also supports dentists in carrying out simple courses of treatment, with more time available for preventative work.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the availability of free dental care for children within Peterborough constituency. [58151]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Dentists working in the salaried primary care dental services examine schoolchildren at least three times in their school career. They also contribute to regular surveys, which have shown that the oral health of children is improving.
Where dentists advise that treatment is necessary, children under 16 and young people aged 16, 17 and 18 who are in full time education are exempt from charges for national health service dental treatment.
Recent and ongoing action to improve access to NHS dentistry, including the recruitment of the equivalent of over 1,450 additional dentists, the establishment of a new university dental school and the introduction of local commissioning responsibilities for primary care trusts, will benefit both children and their families.
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