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Dentistry

Answer

The latest full year information is provided in the following table. Information for the full year ending 2006-07 is not yet available. The latest available information shows that there were 105 dentists on open national health service contracts in Bristol North Primary Care Trust (PCT) and 124 in Bristol South and West PCT as at 30 June 2006.The number of NHS contracts and the service associated with these contracts provides a guide to the level of NHS dental services available. Management information shows that 93.4 per cent. and 98.3 per cent. of dental service respectively was preserved in these two PCTs following the launch of the reforms.The PCTs are actively re-commissioning the small percentage of service associated with the rejected contracts. Nationally PCTs are finding no shortage of dentists willing to take on additional NHS activity.

March	Bristol North PCT	Bristol South and West PCT
2003	101	117
2004	102	115
2005	113	132
2006	120	140
Notes: 1. The new NHS dental contract arrangements were introduced on 1 April 2006. Workforce numbers under the new contractual arrangements are not comparable with numbers under the old contract as the numbers of dentists are now counted differently based on a contract between the provider and the PCT. 2. Under the new contract, the numbers of dentists provided are performers and are defined as a dentist who has been set up on the Dental Practice Division Payments online system by the PCT to work under an open contract as at 30 June 2006. The number provided is a count of individuals listed as performers on open contracts. 3. Under the new contract arrangements PCTs agree with providers a specified annual level of NHS dental treatment. The provider is committed under the contract to providing this level of service—he or she may do this personally or through other dentists he or she employs (they must however be listed within the PCT contract as potential performers of NHS services). 4. Most NHS dentists do some private work. Figures provided do not take into account the proportion of NHS work undertaken by dentists. 5. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending on the date the figures are compiled. This is because the NHS BSA may be notified of joiners or leavers to or from the GDS or PDS up to several months, or more, after the move has taken place. Information is up to date as at 16 October 2006. 6. Hospital and community dental services or services provided privately have been excluded from the numbers. 7. Further information is available in reports published by The Information Centre for Health and Social Care: Information on the new contract (quarter 1, June 2006) is available at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstatsq2o6. Historical information, old contract, is available at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity. Sources: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care NHS Business Services Authority (BSA)

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

451 c167W; 94455

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Dental services Bristol

Link

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