Chamber and committees

The following table shows each health board's current allocation for general medical services cash limited and indicative allocations for general medical services non-cash limited. The table also shows those increases in the allocations for general medical services cash limited for 2001-02 which take into account the Arbuthnott target shares. Future decisions on revenue allocations for general medical services have yet to be decided, reflecting the need to progress cautiously in this area.

Health Boards	2000-01 GMS Cash Ltd £000	2000-01 GMS Non- Cash Ltd £000	2001-02 GMS Cash Ltd Increases Based On Arbuthnott £000
Argyll & Clyde	6,946	24,578	10
Ayrshire & Arran	6,428	19,869	70
Borders	1,682	6,731
Dumfries & Galloway	2,895	9,255
Fife	6,026	17,292	30
Forth Valley	4,845	13,569	60
Grampian	9,878	28,654
Greater Glasgow	17,627	50,102	130
Highland	4,584	16,573
Lanarkshire	7,601	28,273	170
Lothian	14,864	40,650
Orkney	347	1,931
Shetland	437	1,806
Tayside	8,838	21,749
Western Isles	1,093	2,791
Total	94,091	283,823	470

Given the proximity of timing, the target shares used in the 2001-02 allocations announced on 21 September 2000 were those recently published in the final report of the Arbuthnott Review. The mid-year estimate used in that work was not updated.

The population figures used in the Arbuthnott revenue allocation formula for general practitioner prescribing take into account all persons usually resident in an area. As such, they include offshore workers and other workers resident in a health board area at their usual area of residence. For general medical services the allocations take account of the population currently registered with a general practitioner, and so include all persons requiring the care of a GP. In addition both of these formulae reflect the additional requirements placed on general practitioners and prescribing due to temporary residents.

The Scottish Executive have attempted to encourage dentists from the EEC to work in Scotland as an interim measure to address workforce problems. Due to the limited success of this exercise, the main workforce strategy has been to increase the number of dentists graduating in Scotland and to maintain these graduates within the NHSiS. We now produce 120 new dental student graduates each year, which is the highest figure produced in Scotland, for the last five years.

Open adverts for posts have also been placed in internationally recognised journals.

The number of Dental Vocational Trainees in post for last three years in North East of Scotland is shown in the following table.

Year	Number
1997-98	12
1998-99	9
1999-2000	10

There are 10 places currently available for dental graduates in the North East of Scotland per annum. Practitioners also have access to 10 additional places which are made available to dentists in Scotland who are geographically distant from the Dental Schools.

The latest information available for the year beginning August 2000 indicates eight of 10 places have been filled.

The information requested is shown in the table below.

Number of Salaried Dentists in Scotland Broken Down by Health Board Area at 30 June 2000
Health Board	Number of Salaried Dentists
Argyll & Clyde	4
Ayrshire & Arran	4
Borders	0
Dumfries & Galloway	0
Fife	0
Forth Valley	1
Grampian	2
Greater Glasgow	0
Highland	14
Lanarkshire	0
Lothian	13
Orkney	2
Shetland	2
Tayside	0
Western Isles	0
Total	42

Information is not recorded on the number of patients who have sought emergency dental treatment from general medical practitioners in Aberdeen and G-DOCS out of hours general medical practice service.

Mr Macdonald may wish to contact Mr Alec Cumming, Chief Executive of Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, at Foresterhill House, Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen about the number of patients who have sought emergency dental treatment from the accident and emergency department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in the last three years since this information is not available centrally.

All general dental practitioners on family health service lists in Scotland provide NHS treatment to (a) children and others entitled to free dental care and (b) those not entitled to free dental care. All community and hospital service dentists provide NHS treatment to these categories of patient.

The current salary scale for salaried dentists is set out in the table below.

Salary Scale for Salaried Dentists as at 1 April 2000

£24,215 (minimum point)

£26,415 (2nd point)

£28,615 (3rd point)

£30,815 (4th point)

£33,015 (5th point)

£35,215 (maximum point)

£37,415 (discretionary point)

£39,615 (discretionary point)

Source: Statement of Dental Remuneration.

Data relating to dentists practising in the Aberdeen area are not available centrally. The available data on the provision of NHS general dental services are shown in the table below.

Number of Dentists Providing NHS General Dental Services at 31 March 2000
Area	Number1	Rate Per 1,0002 Population
Grampian	164	0.31
Scotland	1,874	0.37

Notes:

1. In addition to GDS dentists, a number of dentists work in hospitals or in the community dental service.

2. Rates are calculated using population estimates as at June 1999.

Source: Information & Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency of the National Health Service in Scotland.)