Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 2

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Richard Bruton

Question:

272 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has set a target for the delivery of orthodontic care to the estimated 50,000 children awaiting assessment for orthodontic treatment or who have already been placed on the waiting list; his target waiting time to be achieved within the next 12 months; the target waiting time to be achieved within the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4727/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of orthodontic care to eligible persons is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. The chief executive officers have advised me that at the end of the December 2001 quarter, the total number of patients on the waiting lists for orthodontic assessment or treatment was 32,767. This is a reduction of 2,746 in comparison with the corresponding figure at the end of the June 2001 quarter. The chief executive officers have also informed me there were 17,295 patients in orthodontic treatment in the health boards at the end of December 2001. This is an increase of 3,086 patients in orthodontic treatment when compared with the number of patients in treatment in May 1999. My Department has asked the chief executive officers to expedite the assessment of the 20,877 patients currently on the assessment waiting lists.

I expect that the number of patients in orthodontic treatment will continue to increase as the structural measures that I have introduced in the orthodontic services begin to take effect. These include the creation of the grade of specialist in orthodontics, the development of specialist training programmes and the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area. Six dentists from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, North-Eastern Health Board and South-Eastern Health Board commenced their training last October for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. My Department has provided €0.541 million in 2002 for specialist in orthodontics training. Furthermore, three dentists from the Western Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board are already in specialist training for orthodontics and this brings the total number of dentists in such training to nine. Discussions on providing an additional training course to commence this year are also under way.

My Department has funded the appointment of a director of specialist training for the Irish committee for specialist training in dentistry through the Post Graduate Medical and Dental Board. The director has taken up duty and will play a pivotal role in assisting the different agencies involved in dental specialist training programmes. In addition, my Department has also funded the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics at Cork University Dental School to facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualifications in orthodontics. Capital funding of approximately €1.27 million was also provided to the orthodontics unit there for its refurbishment to an appropriate standard.

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 last year of which €4.498 million was to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. The chief executive officers of the health boards have informed me of the following progress with developments under the initiative: two consultant orthodontists, five specialists in orthodontics, one dental team and two permanent superintendent radiographers have been recruited; a six-surgery facility at Loughlinstown regional orthodontic unit has been developed and is now open. The treatment of patients there has commenced; the equipping of an additional five surgery unit at the St. James's Hospital orthodontic unit has been completed and the unit is now operational; and three orthodontic managers have been recruited in the Eastern Regional Health Authority to manage the orthodontic services of the area health boards. Furthermore, under this initiative, my Department is exploring with health boards new arrangements for the treatment of patients, both by private specialist orthodontic practitioners and in out of hours sessions by health board orthodontists.

My Department has also funded the development of new regional orthodontic units at Dundalk and Navan, both of which are operational, and the recruitment of a consultant orthodontist for the Midland Health Board who was appointed last year.

Target waiting times for the provision of orthodontic assessment or treatment cannot be addressed until the structural changes which I have set in train are in place and receive the co-operation of all the service providers. Nonetheless, as I have noted above, returns from the chief executive officers indicate that some progress is already being made.