Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 June 2004
123 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if urgent assistance will be given to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 with the maximum support and advice; and if assistance with the regular cost of taxis to the hospital will also be given. [18160/04]
View answerThe provision of health services to people with a physical and-or sensory disability rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance. Accordingly, the Deputy's question has been referred to the regional chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority with a request that he examine the matter raised and reply directly to the Deputy, as a matter of urgency.
124 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will be called for orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18164/04]
View answerResponsibility for the provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons in County Donegal rests with the North Western Health Board. Therefore, my Department has asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and to reply to her directly.
125 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the help that is available to low income families whose children are in need of orthodontic treatment but whose orthodontic problems are not severe enough to benefit from treatment through the health boards according to guidelines issued by his Department; the number of such applications that have been refused in the respective health boards in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18167/04]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the provision of orthodontic treatment services is the responsibility of the health boards/authority in the first instance.
The aim of my Department is to develop the treatment capacity of orthodontics in a sustainable way over the longer term. Given the potential level of demand for orthodontic services, the provision of those services will continue to be based on prioritisation of cases based on treatment need, as happens under the existing guidelines.
The guidelines were issued in 1985; they are intended to enable health boards to identify in a consistent way those in greatest need and to commence timely treatment for them. 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. Patients in category C have less severe problems than in category B. The number of cases treated is dependent on the level of resources available, in terms of qualified staff in the area, and this is reflected in the treatment waiting list; in fact, the provision of orthodontic services is currently severely restricted due to the limited availability of trained specialist clinical staff to assess and treat patients. Consequently, a category C waiting list may not be maintained in some health boards. There is currently no mechanism for reimbursing costs of orthodontic treatment obtained privately; however, tax relief is available in respect of such treatment costs.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to address the shortage of specialists and so increase the treatment capacity of the orthodontic service.
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 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.
Furthermore, 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 of 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/authority 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.
Information for the years requested by the Deputy, on the number of children regarded by health boards/authority as outside the criteria in the guidelines for orthodontic treatment, is not routinely collected by my Department. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officers of the health boards/authority to provide the information requested directly to the Deputy.
