Health Board Services.

Thursday, 18 November 2004

Questions (76)

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

76 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of children who are awaiting orthodontic treatment and assessment in each of the health board areas; and the waiting time for assessment and treatment in respect of each health board area. [29516/04]

View answer

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

The provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards-authority in the first instance.

The chief executive officers of the boards have informed my Department of the following information on their orthodontic assessment and treatment waiting lists as at the end of September 2004:

	Assessment Waiting List	Treatment Waiting List
Health Board		Average waiting time (months)	Category A	Average waiting time (months)	Category B	Average waiting time (months)
SWAHB	416	3-6	745	12	541	24
ECAHB	81	< 3	55	< 6	194	< 12
NAHB	143	3 -6	149	< 18	2,418	< 36
MHB	229	3	Nil	No Waiting Time	344	18
MWHB	2,737	24-36	Nil	No Waiting Time	657	24-36
NEHB	Nil	No waiting time	3	1.5-2	197	18
NWHB	2,536	8	298	10.5	1,080	30.5
SEHB	203	1.5-2	Nil	No Waiting Time	519	17
SHB	3,171	According to Date of Birth. Currently 1990	Nil	No Waiting Time	3,111	42-48
WHB	633	12	Nil	No Waiting Time	730	33

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.