Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Question:
104
Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the number of orthodontic patients on waiting lists in the Southern Health Board area at the end of December 2001, March 2002, June 2002, September 2002 and December 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3136/03]
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Question:
105
Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
when a consultant orthodontist for the Tralee orthodontic unit will be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3137/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together.
The provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards in the first instance. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic ser vices in the Southern Health Board area and on a national basis. 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 in 2001 of which €4.698 million was to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. This is enabling health boards to recruit additional staff and engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients. The SHB was allocated an additional €1.191 million in 2001 for orthodontic services of which €1.032 million was for the orthodontic initiative. Under the initiative, the board proposes to,inter alia, recruit an additional two consultant orthodontists, one of which will be based in Tralee. The chief executive officer of the SHB has informed me that the board recently advertised this position through the Local Appointments Commission but were unsuccessful in recruiting a candidate on this occasion. The board will again consider the possibility of advertising the post at the earliest opportunity.
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. This funding is enabling boards to provide both additional sessions for existing staff and purchase treatment from private specialist orthodontic practitioners. The SHB was allocated an additional €0.72 million from this fund for the treatment of cases in this way. 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 qualification in orthodontics.
The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. This year, my Department and the health boards are funding 13 dentists from various health boards for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at two separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training last year and one dentist whose specialist training is nearing completion. Thus, there is an aggregate of 20 dentists in specialist training for orthodontics. 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 chief executive officer of the SHB has informed me of the following information on orthodontic waiting lists in the board:
|
Quarter Ended
|
Assessment Waiting List
|
Treatment Waiting List
|
Category A
|
Category B
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 2001
|
5,657
|
0
|
4,575
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 2002
|
6,110
|
0
|
4,137
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 2002
|
6,068
|
0
|
3,800
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 2002
|
6,165
|
0
|
3,766
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 2002
|
6,511
|
0
|
3,328
|
|
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 and are placed on the orthodontic treatment waiting list.
Finally, the chief executive officer of the SHB has informed me that at the end of the December 2002 quarter, there were 3,473 patients receiving orthodontic treatment in the board. This is an increase of approximately 1,173 patients in orthodontic treatment when compared with the number of patients receiving treatment in December 2001. 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.
