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Dept of Health

Answer

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were practising in Chesterfield constituency on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of them were accepting new NHS (a) adult patients and (b) child patients. [222626] Ms Rosie Winterton: There are 54 dentists practicing in the Chesterfield primary care trust (PCT) area as at 31 December 20041. The Trent strategic health authority (SHA) reports that, as at 30 March 2005, there are currently three dental practices accepting new national health service adult or child patients in the Chesterfield PCT area. In addition, a further five practices are accepting NHS adult patients on a qualified basis and three practices accepting children as NHS patients on a qualified basis. The Government remain determined to improve access to NHS dentistry and has introduced a number of initiatives, which will help bring about improvements nationally and more locally. PCT funding for dentistry will increase by 19.3 per cent. from 2003-04 to 2005-06. Consequently, over £250 million of additional resources will be provided by 2005-06. £127,000 has been provided to Chesterfield PCT as part of the dental access monies supplied to Trent SHA. This funding was due to deliver 2,120 new registrations. However, it has in fact delivered 2,776 additional patient registrations as at the end of February 2005. It is estimated that this figure will increase by approximately 600 within the next six months. Chesterfield PCT is keen to increase dental services in North Derbyshire. The Department has encouraged PCTs to be proactive in establishing early entry into the personal dental service (PDS). Orthodontic PDS will allow development of orthodontic services in the community and thereby reduce the waiting list for secondary care services. The PCT has pursued this goal and has developed good relationships with practice owners. It already has six early PDS practices and one more due to go live in May. North Derbyshire PCTs have the following access agreements: four sessions per week with a practice in Clay Cross (in North Eastern Derbyshire PCT) and out of hours service for registered and non-registered patients for three hours during the evening on weekdays and three hours per day weekends and bank holidays at Scarsdale (within Chesterfield PCT). 1 Source: NHS website.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c1245-6W; 222626

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Access Dental services Dentistry NHS Staff Chesterfield

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk