Vol. 536 No. 3
192 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the waiting list for orthodontic assessment in the Western Health Board area has increased from two months to ten months; and the number of children who are waiting for assessment at present. [14260/01]
The provision of orthodontic services is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. I am informed by the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board that on average the waiting time for orthodontic assessment was previously three to six months. It recently increased because the board's consultant orthodontist is undertaking sessions to carry out the board's waiting list initiative scheme where patients are either treated in-house or contracted out to private specialists in orthodontics. This has increased the amount of time allocated to the provision of treatment. The chief executive officer of the board has recently advised me that the number of children awaiting assessment at the end of March 2001 is 606.
