Statistical Publication Notice - Thursday 28 September (09.30)

Update of NHSScotland Dental Statistics on Scottish Health on the Web (SHOW): information up to 31 March 2006.

Information Services Division (ISD Scotland) today published selected statistics on NHS General Dental Services. The statistics can be accessed via: www.isdscotland.org/dental.

Key points

• Among selected NHS General Dental Service (GDS) treatments, in the year ending March 2006 there were decreases in the numbers of examinations, fillings, root fillings and crowns provided, while there was an increase in the number of orthodontic active appliances provided. These data relate to non-salaried GDS only.
• The number (headcount) of dentists working in the NHS GDS (non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners) increased from 2,266 at 30 September 2005 to 2,301 at 31 March 2006.
• A new table, D5, presents the number (headcount) of NHS GDS dentists by local authority area and deprivation category. It shows that at 31 March 2006 the highest number of GDS dentists were based in practices in SIMD 4 and SIMD 3 areas, (671 and 592 respectively). In each of the deprivation categories 1, 2 and 5 there were approximately 430 dentists practising. It should be noted that a dentist may practise in more than one SIMD area. This table also shows that there were 45.2 GDS dentists (headcount of non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners) per 100,000 population in Scotland at 31 March 2006.
• This completes the sequence of figures for 2005/06, following the earlier publication of statistics up to December 2005. Between January 2006 and March 2006 the number of children registered rose by 479 (+0.1%) and the number of adults registered fell by 5,661 (-0.3%).
• The cost to the NHS GDS of treating a child during 2005/06 increased from £42 to £46, while the cost of treating an adult has stayed at £32 since 2003 (these figures are calculated by dividing item of service and registration costs by the child and adult populations).

Background

1. The source of NHS General Dental Services (GDS) data is the Management Information & Dental Accounting System (MIDAS), a database that processes claims and makes payments to GDS dentists.
2. All information presented here relates to NHS dental treatment and excludes private dental treatment.
3. SIMD is the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004: 1 is least deprived, 5 most deprived.
4. Further information on NHS General Dental Services will be provided in the 2005/06 Scottish Dental Practice Board Annual Report, due for publication on 28 September 2006.
5. This is an ISD Scotland National Statistics release. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and adhere to codes of practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
6. ISD Scotland, a division of NHS National Services Scotland, is the principal source of Scotland's health information and an essential support service to NHSScotland, the Scottish Executive, joint partnerships and other organisations. ISD Scotland contributes to health improvement by:

• providing information and statistical services
• advising on the effective use of information management and technology
• informing decisions, research and debate.

For further information contact:

Stephen Goold
Healthcare Information Group
ISD Scotland
email stephen.goold@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk
phone 0131 275 6316