Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.
David Stanton
Question:
218
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the assistance available to low income families from the State or from health boards towards the cost of orthodontic treatment which is required but is not deemed eligible under the criteria operated by his Department; the advice he has to offer families and children in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5304/02]
The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. Orthodontic guidelines were issued by my Department in 1985 and are still in operation. Their purpose is to allow prioritisation of children for orthodontic treatment based on the severity of need. The guidelines cover all cases where there is a recognised medical need for treatment. At present, the guidelines do not allow for cases where the need is based purely on cosmetic grounds. The chief executive officers of the health boards have informed me that at the end of the December 2001 quarter there were 17,295 patients in orthodontic treatment in the health boards. This is an increase of 3,086 patients in orthodontic treatment when compared with the number of patients in treatment in May 1999. I expect the number of patients on orthodontic treatment will continue to increase as the measures that I have taken to improve orthodontic services take effect.
Structural changes are being introduced into the orthodontic service such as 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.
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; 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.
In instances where children are not deemed to be within the guidelines, parents can avail of tax relief if they decide to have treatment provided privately. For children who are placed on a waiting list for treatment, initiatives which I have set out above will bring about an improvement in waiting times and I am considering other options whereby children who have been waiting for an extended period can be treated free of charge privately. Tax relief is also available for patients on the waiting list who wish to make private arrangements themselves for treatment.
