Denis Naughten
Question:105 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the waiting lists and waiting times for orthodontic treatment and assessment in each health board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5050/03]
Written Answers - Orthodontic Service.
The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons is the responsibility of the health boards or authority in the first instance. I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services on a national basis.
The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. This year my Department and the health boards are funding 13 dentists from various health boards for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at two sep arate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training last year and one dentist whose specialist training is nearing completion. Thus there is an aggregate of 20 public service dentists currently in training for specialist orthodontics qualifications. These measures will compliment the other structural changes being introduced into the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic treatments.
In the short-term, I have funded an orthodontic initiative to ease current pressures on the system. Additional funding of €6.729 million was approved for orthodontic services in 2001 of which €4.698 million was to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. This is enabling health boards to recruit additional staff, engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients and build additional orthodontic facilities.
Last year my Department provided additional funding of €5 million from the treatment purchase fund to health boards specifically for the purchase of orthodontic treatment. This funding is enabling boards to provide additional sessions for existing staff and purchase treatment from private specialist orthodontic practitioners.
Finally, the chief executive officers of the health boards/authority have informed me that at the end of the September 2002 quarter there were 18,511 patients receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This is an increase of approximately 1,216 patients in orthodontic treatment when compared with the number of patients receiving treatment in December 2001. I expect that the number of patients receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service will continue to increase as the measures that I have taken impact further on the service.
The chief executive officers of the health boards gave me the following information on their orthodontic waiting lists as at the end of the September 2002 quarter:
|
Assessment Waiting List |
Treatment Waiting List |
|||||
|
Health Board |
Average Waiting Time (Months) |
Category A |
Waiting time (Months) |
Category B |
Waiting time (Months) |
|
|
SWAHB |
4,302 |
* |
174 |
18 – 24 |
496 |
36 |
|
ECAHB |
243 |
34 |
429 |
|||
|
NAHB |
1,400 |
** |
22 |
2,097 |
||
|
Midland |
117 |
3 |
Nil |
No Waiting time |
313 |
9 |
|
Mid-Western |
1,659 |
24 – 36 |
Nil |
No Waiting Time |
879 |
24 – 36 |
|
North-Eastern |
– |
No Waiting Time |
4 |
1.5 – 2 |
312 |
18 – 24 |
|
North-Western |
535 |
4.5 |
128 |
10.5 |
1,297 |
39 |
|
South-Eastern |
378 |
3 – 3.5 |
Nil |
No Waiting Time |
487 |
12 |
|
Southern |
6,165 |
According to Date of Birth. Currently 1988 |
Nil |
No Waiting Time |
3,766 |
48 |
|
Western |
599 |
9 |
Nil |
No Waiting Time |
1,066 |
36 – 48 |
*There are no category A patients awaiting assessment, category B patients have an average waiting time of <48 months for assessment.
**Category A patients have an average waiting time of <6 months for assessment, category B patients have an average waiting time of 12 months for assessment.
Patients in category A require immediate treatment. They include those with congenital abnormalities of the jaws, such as cleft lip and palate, and patients with major skeletal discrepancies between the sizes of their jaws. Patients in category B have less severe problems and are placed on the orthodontic treatment waiting list.