The number of NHS dentists in Scotland has hit a record high, according to figures released yesterday, but nearly half the adult population has still not registered with one.
The number of NHS dentists in Scotland has hit a record high, according to figures released yesterday, but nearly half the adult population has still not registered with one.
At the end of March this year there were 2739 dentists working for General Dental Services (GDS): a rise of 6.3% on the previous year and up 10.7% on 2007 figures.
The numbers have increased for every health board in the country, with the largest rise recorded in Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside. There were 30 new dentists registered in Glasgow and Clyde, and 26 in Lothian.
But despite the increased availability, only 59.3% of adults and 78.7% of children are currently registered with an NHS dentist.
The figure has been rising steadily, however, with a 10% increase in child registrations and an 18% rise in adults between 2007 and 2008.
The figures also show that the highest concentrations of NHS dentists are in Scotland's most deprived areas.
Shona Robison, the Minister for Public Health, said: "This significant rise of 163 dentists in just a year means Scotland now has a record number of NHS dentists.
"The Scottish Government is determined to reverse the years of neglect in NHS dentistry. Since taking office in May 2007, we have worked hard to increase the numbers of adults and children registered with a dentist."
The new figures, released by NHS Scotland, also show that the overall time lost due to staff sickness and absence at Scottish hospitals is 4.95%, down slightly from the previous year.
The turnover rate for NHS staff has also decreased slightly, from 7.8% in 2006/7 to 7.7% in 2008/09.
Health authorities are now using fewer agency nurses and midwifery staff than previously, with a year-on-year decrease of 24%.
The use of "bank" nursing and midwifery staff - flexible employees contracted to work on an as-and-when-required basis - increased by 5%, with an associated 11% cost rise.
A saving of 15% has been made by employing fewer agency workers, though those that are still working are paid more than the previous year. Since 2005, expenditure on agency staff has dropped significantly, by 61%.
As of September 2008, NHS Scotland had 165,551 staff - equivalent to around one-twentieth of the country's total workforce. The largest staff grouping was nursing and midwifery, which accounted for 40.9% of all employees.
