(2) how many dentists in (a) Wakefield, (b) the Hemsworth constituency, (c) Yorkshire and Humberside and (d) England accepted NHS patients in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001.
The information is not available in the format requested.
As at 30 September 2006, 135 dentists in East and Western Wakefield primary care trusts PCTs), 1923 dentists in NHS Yorkshire and the Humber and 20,285 dentists in England held open national health services (NHS) contracts. A dentist can provide as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses and has agreed with the primary care trusts (PCTs). Information is not held centrally at town, county or constituency level and could be provided only in these formats at disproportionate cost.
For 1997 and 2001, information on numbers of dentists is available at England, strategic health authority, PCT and constituency level. This information is in the following table.
Organisation 1997 2001 Wakefield West PCT 41 49 Eastern Wakefield PCT 61 60 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 495 554 West Yorkshire SHA 699 737 South Yorkshire SHA 431 469 England 16,470 18,353 Notes: 1. The data in this report are based on NHS dentists on PCT lists. These details were passed on to the Business Services Authority (BSA) who paid dentists based on activity undertaken. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. In some cases, an NHS dentist may appear on a PCT list but not perform any NHS work in that period. Most NHS dentists do some private work. The data do not take into account the proportion of NHS work undertaken by dentists. 2. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending on the date the figures are compiled. This is because the NHS Business Services Authority (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. 3. SHA and PCT data include all dentists practising in that area. Some dentists may have an open GDS or PDS contract in more than one PCT or SHA and therefore they have been counted more than once. The total number of dentists given for England does not include duplication. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care NHS Business Services Authority (BSA)
(2) in how many of the areas in which primary care trusts provide children with routine dental screening in schools screening is given (a) with and (b) without the consent of a parent or guardian.
Dentists in primary care trusts' salaried dental services undertake statutory dental screening inspections of schoolchildren at around ages six and nine to identify those in need of a further examination and treatment.
Originally, it was the practice for the primary care trust (PCT) dental services to advise parents that a school dental inspection was going to take place and that parents were to advise the school if they had any objection to their child being inspected. We reviewed this policy earlier this year and issued new guidance which indicated that it was necessary to obtain positive consent for these inspections from either the child (if he/she was judged to be competent to give consent) or from the parents/or relevant person with parental responsibility.
Information on which primary care trusts currently undertake screening is not available centrally, but we are aware that the number of children receiving a dental screening each year has fallen.
In November 2006 the United Kingdom (UK) National Screening Committee (NSC) recommended to the UK chief dental officers that there is no evidence to support the continued population screening for dental disease among children aged six to nine years.
The NSC recommended that higher value from the use of these resources would be achieved if they were used in addressing oral health inequalities more effectively. We will shortly be issuing guidance to primarycare trusts on the implementation of the NSCs recommendations.