NHS access continues to improve - slowly
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- Published: Monday, 28 February 2011 16:38
- Written by News Editor
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| The NHS Information Centre has published its latest figures on access and treatment. For the fifth consecutive quarter, the number of patients seen has exceeded the March 2006 baseline; when the current dental contract was introduced. A total of 28.9 million patients were seen, an increase of 2.7 per cent on 2006. The percentage of the population seen by an NHS dentist, at 55.8 per cent, is equal to the March 2006 level.
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The quarterly report brings together information on NHS dental activity in England up to Q2 2010/11 and information on the number of patients seen by an NHS dentist, up to the third quarter of 2010/11.
For the fifth consecutive quarter, the number of patients seen has exceeded the March 2006 baseline; when the current dental contract was introduced.
A total of 28.9 million patients were seen in the 24 month period ending December 2010, an increase of 773,000 (2.7 per cent) on the March 2006 baseline.
The percentage of the population seen by an NHS dentist, at 55.8 per cent, is equal to the March 2006 level. This measure has steadily increased since its lowest point in June 2008.
There were an estimated 9.9 million Courses of Treatment (CoTs) in Q2 2010/11, an increase of 0.3 million (2.7 per cent) on Q2 2009/10. CoTs rose for each treatment band except ‘Other’ in Q2 of 2010/11 compared to the corresponding quarter in 2009/10.
There was an estimated 3.5 per cent increase in Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) over the corresponding period.
This greater percentage increase in UDAs over CoTs is due to a higher rise in more complex, band 3 activity, which generates a higher number of UDAs than simpler, band 1 activity. There was an estimated 6.8 per cent increase in Band 3 CoTs (and therefore UDAs) from Q2 2009/10 to Q2 2010/11, compared to an estimated 2.5 per cent increase in Band 1 treatments.
Growth in CoTs was seen in eight SHAs from Q2 2009/10 to Q2 2010/11. The largest percentage increase was seen in South Central SHA which saw a provisional 5.4 per cent increase in CoTs in the period.
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