Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.
Enda Kenny
Question:
316
Mr. Kenny
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on the fact that six full-time professional staff from the Western Health Board amount to a case load of only 250 patients per practitioner; if he has satisfied himself that this is a normal workload; if he has plans to increase the number of patients per practitioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14354/03]
Responsibility for the provision of orthodontic treatment lies with the health boards in the first instance. 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.
Orthodontic initiative funding of €4.698 million was provided to the health boards/authority in 2001 and this has enabled health boards to recruit additional staff, engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients and build additional orthodontic facilities. The additional funding of €0.628 million allocated to the Western Health Board in 2001 for orthodontic services included €0.533 million 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 €0.465 million 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 March 2003, was 1,633. 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 March 2003, there were 1,649 cases in orthodontic treatment in the board's area.
