Vol. 555 No. 2
91 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children awaiting orthodontic treatment in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area as at 1 October 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18108/02]
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services in the Eastern Regional Health Authority. The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. The introduction of this pivotal grade will have a tremendous impact on the future delivery of orthodontics in the public service. Ultimately it will address the issues of recruitment and retention of qualified clinical personnel in the service.
In 2002, my Department provided additional funding of €0.622 million to the ERHA for orthodontic services of which €0.405 million was for an orthodontic training programme. Four dentists from the authority commenced their training for specialist in orthodontic qualifications in October 2001. Furthermore, my Department expects to fund an additional 11 dentists from various health boards, including the authority, for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at two separate universities in the United Kingdom.
The training programmes concerned provide a broad academic background and experience in different clinical treatment methods and are made possible by co-operation between health boards, health board consultant orthodontists and dental teaching institutions. My Department has also 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 is playing a pivotal role in assisting the different agencies involved in dental specialist training programmes. These measures will complement the other structural changes being introduced into the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area. The grade of orthodontic therapist will act as a support to the consultant orthodontist, specialists and other dentists working in the orthodontic unit thus enabling a greater volume of treatment.
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 €4.698 million was to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. Under the initiative, the ERHA was allocated €2.044 million. This enabled the authority to recruit additional staff, including two consultant orthodontists and to develop new treatment facilities at Loughlinstown and at the regional orthodontic unit located at St. James's Hospital. My Department has also funded a six-chair orthodontic suite for the Northern Area Health Board, expected to be operational in spring 2003.
Last June, my Department provided additional funding of €5 million from the treatment purchase fund to health boards specifically for the purchase of orthodontic treatment. The ERHA received €1.815 million from this fund, which will enable the authority to make arrangements for the provision of both additional sessions for its staff and purchase treatment from private specialist orthodontic practitioners.
The Regional Chief Executive of the ERHA has informed me that at the end of the June 2002 quarter, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 502 patients awaiting treatment in the South-Western Area Health Board, 644 patients awaiting treatment in the East Coast Area Health Board and 113 patients awaiting treatment in the Northern Area Health Board. At the end of the same quarter, there were 4,110 patients in orthodontic treatment. This is an increase of 334 in comparison with the corresponding figure at the end of the December 2001 quarter. I expect that the number of patients in orthodontic treatment will continue to increase as the measures that I have taken to improve orthodontic services take effect.
