Beverley Flynn
Question:185 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Health and Children the action he intends to take to address the fact that waiting time for orthodontic treatment in the WHB area is still four years. [14878/04]
View answerWednesday, 19 May 2004
Questions (185)
Written answers
The provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards-authority in the first instance. I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services both in the Western Health Board area and on a national basis.
The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. In 2003, my Department and the health boards funded 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 three separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training in 2001. Thus, there is an aggregate of 19 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 commitment of the Department to training development is manifested in the funding provided to both the training of specialist clinical staff and the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics for the Cork Dental School. This appointment at the school will facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualification in orthodontics. The chief executive officer of the Southern Health Board has reported that the professor commenced duty on the 1 December 2003. In recognition of the importance of this post at Cork Dental School my Department has given approval in principle to a proposal from the school to further substantially improve the training facilities there for orthodontics. This project should see the construction of a large orthodontic unit and support facilities; it will ultimately support an enhanced teaching and treatment service to the wider region under the leadership of the professor of orthodontics.
In June 2002, 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 Western Health Board received additional funding of €0.465 million for the treatment of cases in this way.
The chief executive officer of the Western Health Board has informed my Department that at the end of the March quarter 2004, there were no category A patients awaiting orthodontic treatment. In addition, the chief executive officer also informed my Department that at the end of the March quarter 2004, there were 1,597 patients receiving orthodontic treatment.