Jimmy Deenihan
Question:192 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health and Children when a specialist orthodontist will be appointed at the Dental Clinic, Moyderwell, Tralee, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29558/01]
Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.
Structural changes are being introduced into the orthodontic service. These changes include the creation of the grade of specialist in orthodontics, the development of specialist training programmes and the creation of a grade of auxiliary dental worker to work in the orthodontic area.
Agreement has now been reached at the Health Service Employers' Agency on the creation of the specialist in orthodontics grade in the orthodontic service. In addition, six dentists for the Eastern Regional Health Authority, North Eastern Health Board and South Eastern Health Board commenced their training in October last for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. Furthermore, three dentists from the Western Health Board and North Eastern Health Board are already in specialist training for orthodontics and this brings the total number of dentists in such training to nine. Discussions on providing an additional training course to commence in 2002 are also under way.
My Department has funded the appointment of a director of specialist training for the Irish Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry through the Post Graduate Medical and Dental Board. The director has taken up duty and will play a pivotal role in assisting the different agencies involved in dental specialist training programmes. In addition, my Department has also funded the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics at Cork University Dental School to facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualifications in orthodontics. Applications for the post were invited when it was advertised on 19 October last. Capital funding of approximately £1 million – 1.269 million – was also provided to the orthodontics unit there for its refurbishment to an appropriate standard. My Department would welcome proposals for a specialist training programme from this university and the consultant orthodontists of the Southern Health Board and neighbouring boards.
However, it will be some time before these structural changes impact significantly on service levels. Consequently, I asked health boards to develop proposals to make an immediate significant impact on their waiting lists. An additional investment of £5.3 million – 6.729 million – has been approved for orthodontic services this year, of which £3.7 million – 4.698 million – is to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. This will enable health boards to recruit additional staff.
Furthermore, as part of the initiative, my Department is also exploring with health boards new arrangements for the treatment of patients, both by private specialist orthodontic practitioners and in out of hours sessions by health board orthodontists. The Southern Health Board (SHB) has been allocated an additional £0.938 million – 1.191 million – this year for orthodontic services of which £0.813 million – 1.032 million – was for the orthodontic initiative. Under the initiative, the board propose to,inter alia, recruit an additional two consultant orthodontists, one of whom will be located in Kerry.
I am informed by the chief executive officer of the SHB that at recent interviews held under the auspices of the Local Appointments Commission – LAC – one person was recommended for appointment to the position of consultant orthodontist in the board. This candidate had indicated at interview that his preference was the Cork based post.
The board is presently arranging with the LAC to re-advertise the consultant post for the Tralee unit in order to expedite an early appointment.