AQW 2383/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of dental practices that have (i) stopped; and (ii) started, treating NHS patients in each of the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 29 June 2022
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 29 June 2022
- Answer due by
- 18 July 2022
- Answered
- 7 July 20228 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2022, 23 practices are no longer contracted to carry out health service dental work. Table 1 details this information, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Table 1: Dental premises no longer contracted to carry out health service dental work1 between 1st April 2016 and 31st March 2022
| Health and Social Care Trust | Financial Year | |||||
| 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| Belfast | - | - | 2 | 2 | - | 1 |
| Northern | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 |
| South Eastern | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | 1 |
| Southern | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | - |
| Western | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
1 Although these practices have closed, they may have merged with other practices or transferred their patient lists to other dentists.
Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2022, there have been 9 practices which have commenced carrying out Health Service dental work. Table 2 details this information broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Table 2: Dental premises that commenced carrying out health service dental work between 1st April 2016 and 31 March 2022
| Health and Social Care Trust | Financial Year | |||||
| 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| Belfast | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Northern | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| South Eastern | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
| Southern | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Western | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | 1 |