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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to public funds of (a) reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental charges paid by the patient to 50 per cent., (b) reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental treatment to £100, (c) reducing the percentage of NHS dental charges paid by the patient to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental treatment to £100, (d) extending free dental check-ups to people aged 60 years and over, and (e) exempting people aged over 60 years from all dental charges. [153063] Mr. Hutton: The estimated costs of making changes to the percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients and the maximum patient charge for the General Dental Service in England based on 1999-2000 figures are: £ million _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Change in maximum/patient charge Annual cost (a) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient 155 for a course of treatment under the National Health Service to 50 per cent. with unchanged maximum patient charge (b) reducing the maximum payment paid by the patient for a course 35 of treatment under the NHS to £100 with unchanged percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients (c) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient 170 for a course of treatment under the NHS to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum charge to £100 (d) extending free dental examinations to people aged 60 and over 19 (e) exempting people aged 60 and over from all dental charges 85 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. These estimates would be higher if the changes stimulated greater demand for dental examinations and dental treatment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

365 c137-8W; 153063

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Dental services Concessions Dentistry Fees and charges Exemptions NHS

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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