Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Apr 2001

Vol. 533 No. 6

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Nora Owen

Question:

218 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children the position concerning the upgrading of the orthodontic services in the Eastern Regional Health Board area; the waiting times for orthodontic treatment in the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9445/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The provision of orthodontic services is the responsibility of health boards in the first instance. Following recommendations in the Moran report, Review of Orthodontic Services, structural changes are being introduced in the orthodontic services. 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 has been approved for orthodontic services this year, of which £3.7 million is to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists.

The Eastern Regional Health Authority received an additional investment of £2.34 million in 2001 for orthodontic services of which £1.61 million related to the orthodontic initiative. The ERHA has advised me of the following progress on its proposals in respect of the orthodontic initiative. The appointment of two additional consultant orthodontists is currently in train; a third additional consultant orthodontist post has been approved by my Department and the recruitment process is currently under way; two orthodontic specialists have been recruited and a further recruitment drive is in progress to recruit four more; interviews to recruit three managers to manage the orthodontic services in the three area health boards will be held in April with appointments to follow without delay; interviews for posts of dental surgery assistants in the East Coast Area Health Board have been completed and offers of employment have issued; a competition in respect of similar posts in the other area health boards will be held shortly; a competition to fill the posts of dental hygienist in the area health boards is currently being organised; and the previously vacant post of superintendent radiographer at St James' Hospital Unit has been filled. A similar post for the Loughlinstown unit has been filled on a locum basis; a six surgery facility at the Loughlinstown regional orthodontic unit has been developed and is currently being equipped; it will open as soon as this process is completed; the equipping of an additional five surgery unit at the St James' Hospital orthodontic unit will be completed in the next four weeks; and the Northern Area Health Board is currently pro gressing plans for the development of a new regional orthodontic unit located on the grounds of James Connolly Memorial Hospital.

As part of the orthodontic initiative, the Department also approved a proposal from the ERHA for a grant-in-aid scheme. Under the scheme, patients who meet the criteria laid down for non-urgent routine treatment will be given the option of availing of treatment from a private orthodontic practitioner. A grant of 50% of the board's overall estimated cost of treatment would be paid. Parents could also avail of income tax relief on the balance where appropriate. A grant of 100% of the board's estimated cost of treatment would be paid in respect of medical card holders. The scheme will operate on a pilot basis in the Northern Area Health Board for 12 months. A working group has been examining this proposal and hopes to finalise it in the coming weeks; validation of existing waiting lists is currently in progress; and agreement has been reached between the ERHA and the Dublin dental hospitals on the training of specialists to work in orthodontics. Four dentists will commence training in October 2001.

The chief executive officer of the ERHA has advised me that some patients in category 1 have been waiting up to two years for assessment or treatment, this will be reduced to zero over the coming weeks, and some patients in category 11 have been waiting six years.