To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current ratio is of (a) NHS dentists, (b) private dentists and (c) all dentists to people in England; and what it was in each year since 1997. (133199)

[holding answer 23 April 2007]: The numbers of national health service dentists per population in England are included in reports published by the Information Centre for health and social care. Most dentists eligible to provide NHS services also choose to provide some private treatment. Information is not held on the number of dentists who only provide private treatment.

Numbers of NHS dentists per population in England as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are contained in Annex F of the ‘NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006’. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This is available on-line at

www.live.theic.precedenthost.co.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006

Numbers of NHS dentists per population in England as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 are contained in Annex 3 of the ‘NHS Dental Statistics for England Q3: 31 December 2006’ report. This information is based on the new contractual arrangements and is not directly comparable with earlier information. This is available on-line at

www.live.theic.precedenthost.co.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006

Both reports are available in Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of NHS dentists operating in (a) Coventry and (b) England. (133211)

The Information Centre for health and social care publishes quarterly information on the number of dentists in England at strategic health authority and primary care trust level.

The latest information available is as at 31 December 2006. Numbers of dentists at this date and at 30 June and 30 September 2006 are contained in Section G of Annex 3 of the ‘National Health Service Dental Statistics for England Q3:31 December 2006’ report.

This report has been placed the House of Commons Library and is also available on-line at:

www./live.theic.precedenthost.co.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that people have access to an NHS dentist. (133213)

The dental reforms launched in April 2006 give local primary care trusts (PCTs) for the first time the responsibility for commissioning dental services to meet the needs of their local populations. Under the previous system, dentists could set up practice where they wished and choose how much or how little national health service work to provide. If a dentist stopped providing NHS services, the local NHS could do very little to secure replacement services. Under the reforms, PCTs have the resources to commission agreed levels of patient services from local dentists. If a dentist stops providing NHS services in the area, the money for that service now stays with the PCT and is used to commission services from other dentists. PCTs are increasingly using these new powers to commission additional services which better reflect local needs.

The reforms build on a programme of significant Government investment in NHS dental services and workforce expansion. The annual resources now allocated for NHS dentistry are some £400 million more than in 2003-04 (excluding the money for annual pay increases). In the two years leading up to the reforms, the Government co-ordinated a major recruitment programme, which resulted in the equivalent of over 1,450 whole time dentists joining the workforce. There are currently some 20,900 dentists on NHS contracts, around 1,500 more than two years ago and 4,000 more than in 1997. To support future growth, the Government also increased annual numbers of dental training places by 25 per cent. in 2005.