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 practioners 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 includes €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 during the period 1994 to 1996, 3,000 patients commenced orthodontic treatment in the board's area. During this time 800 of those patients completed their treatments. In the intervening period, the board experienced staffing shortages, resulting in reduced levels of activity and an increase in waiting lists and waiting times for assessment and treatment, with some 300 cases commencing treatment in the period 1996 to 1997. 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 also 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 has also informed me that 1,649 people were receiving orthodontic treatment at the end of March 2003.
