Vol. 439 No. 4
85 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Health the reason people who have been years on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment are now being refused treatment when called for assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The consultant orthodontists recruited by health boards over the past two years have carried out assessments of cases provisionally placed on orthodontic waiting lists.
The consultants' assessments are to ensure that expensive specialist orthodontic treatment is directed at cases of greatest need and my Department has issued guidelines to health boards in this regard.
Inevitably, some persons on the provisional lists are not being included in the up-dated waiting lists as in the opinion of the consultant orthodontist their treatment need is not sufficiently serious.
