Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 2

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Michael Finucane

Question:

305 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons applying for orthodontic treatment in the mid-west region; the average waiting time in this regard; the plans in place to reduce the waiting period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23966/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of orthodontic treatment is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. Under the Health Act, 1970, a child is eligible for orthodontic treatment on the basis of defects noted at a school health examination carried out while the child is attending national school. There is no application process per se as children in specific classes in national school, usually in second, fourth and sixth class, are dentally screened and referred for orthodontic review as necessary.

At the invitation of my Department, a group representative of health board management and consultant orthodontists reviewed the orthodontic services. The objective of this review was to ensure equity in the provision of orthodontic treatment throughout the health boards. Following this review structural changes are being introduced in the orthodontic services. 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.

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. The Mid-Western Health Board, MWHB, has been allocated an additional £529,000, 671,000, this year for orthodontic services of which £404,000, 513,000, was for the orthodontic initiative. Under the initiative, the board proposes to recruit additional staff and validate its orthodontic waiting lists. In addition, my Department recently approved a proposed scheme from the MWHB to engage the services of private orthodontists to treat patients.

I am also informed by the chief executive officer of the MWHB that at the end of the September 2001 quarter, there were 1,408 patients in orthodontic treatment in the board and the number of patients awaiting orthodontic treatment in its area of responsibility was as follows:

	Assessment Waiting List			Treatment Waiting List
Health Board		Waiting Time (Months)	Category A	Waiting time (Months)	Category B	Waiting time (Months)
Mid-Western	3,380	24-36	Nil	No waiting time	1,392	24-36

Patients are referred for secondary care orthodontic treatment in accordance with guidelines issued by my Department that prioritise need for treatment based on the degree of handicap and severity of malocclusion. Patients in category A require immediate treatment and include those with congenital abnormalities of the jaws such as cleft lip and palate, and patients with major skeletal discrepancies between the sizes of the jaws. Patients in category B have less severe problems than category A patients but have a definite need of treatment and are placed on the orthodontic treatment waiting list.

Michael Finucane

Question:

306 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of orthodontists employed by the Mid-Western Health Board. [23967/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of orthodontic treatment is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. The chief executive officer of the Mid-Western Health Board has informed me that there is one consultant orthodontist and dental surgeons with masters in orthodontics qualifications employed in the board's orthodontic unit, two of whom are employed on a part-time basis.

Michael Finucane

Question:

307 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons who received orthodontic treatments in the Mid-Western Health Board area for the year 2000 and from January to September 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23968/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of orthodontic treatment is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. I am informed by the chief executive officer of the Mid-Western Health Board, MWHB, that a total of 528 patients completed their treatment in the year 2000 and that during the period January 2001 to September 2001 a total of 336 treatments had been completed. I am also informed by the chief executive officer of the MWHB that at the end of the September 2001 quarter, there were 1,408 patients in orthodontic treatment in the board.