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pubmed:abstractText |
Prior to the introduction of the 2006 NHS dental contract in England and Wales, general dental practitioners (GDPs) were responsible for the provision of out-of-hours (OOH) emergency dental services (EDS); however there was great national variation in service provision. Under the contractual arrangements introduced 1st April 2006, local commissioning agencies became formally responsible for the provision of out-of-hours emergency dental services. This study aimed to examine patients' use of an out-of-hours emergency dental service and to determine whether the introduction of the 2006 national NHS dental contract had resulted in a change in service use, with a view to informing future planning and commissioning of care.
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pubmed:affiliation |
Department of Oral Health Services Research and Dental Public Health, Kings College London Dental Institute, Caldecot Road, London, SE5 9RW, UK. rupert.s.austin@kcl.ac.uk
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