Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 June 2004
144 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of national school children who currently require orthodontic treatment within the area managed by the South Eastern Area Health Board; the waiting time endured by the same; the number of orthodontists currently serving within the South Eastern Health Board in this capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18818/04]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards/authority in the first instance.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services in the South Eastern Health Board, SEHB, 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 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 — including four from the SEHB — 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 1 December 2003. In recognition of the importance of this post at the 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 chief executive officer of the SEHB has informed my Department that at the end of the March quarter 2004, there was no waiting time for patients requiring category A orthodontic treatment; patients in category A require immediate treatment. The chief executive officer has also informed my Department that at the end of the March quarter 2004, there were 683 patients awaiting category B treatment with an average waiting time of 20 months.
The management of the orthodontic service, including the orthodontists currently employed by the SEHB, is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of that board. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer of the SEHB to provide the Deputy with the information requested.
The chief executive officer of the SEHB has informed my Department that at the end of the March quarter 2004, there were 2,115 children receiving orthodontic treatment from the health board. This means that there are over three times as many children getting orthodontic treatment from the board as there are children waiting to be treated.
