Written Answers - Orthodontic Service.
Michael Ring
Question:
304
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the reason, with the equivalent of six full time professional staff in the orthodontic department of the WHB, it amounts to a caseload of only 250 patients per practitioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5166/03]
As the Deputy is aware, responsibility for the provision of orthodontic treatment lies with 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 services on a national basis, including those services provided in the Western Health Board area.
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, including two from the Western Health Board, 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. The creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist is another structural measure being introduced in order to increase the number of orthodontic treatments. In the short-term, 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. The additional funding of €628,000 allocated to the Western Health Board in 2001 for orthodontic services, includes €533,000 for an orthodontic initiative in the board.
Last year, 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. Under the scheme, the Western Health Board received €465,000 for the treatment of patients in this way.
The chief executive officer of the Western Health Board has informed me that the staffing complement in the orthodontic department currently consists of one consultant orthodontist, three orthodontic specialists, one non-specialist dentist and one trainee orthodontic specialist who has a part time commitment to the orthodontic department. Since 2001 progress has been made by the board in recruiting an orthodontic specialist and two additional specialists commenced duty with the board on completion of their specialist training last year. The chief executive officer of the Western Health Board has further informed me that the number of cases awaiting orthodontic assessment and treatment, as at 31 December 2002 was 1,715. This is in comparison to a corresponding figure of 2,392 in 1996, 3,642 in 1997 and 4,003 in 1998. The chief executive officer of the board is satisfied that the staff in the orthodontic department are committed to maximising throughput in the unit, consistent with maintaining high standards and quality assurance of the treatments undertaken and has reported that at the end of December 2002, there were 1,496 cases in orthodontic treatment in the board's area.
For children who are placed on a waiting list for treatment, the initiatives and structural changes that I have set out above will bring about an improvement in waiting times for treatment and positively impact on the future delivery of orthodontic services in the longer term.
