Dan Neville
Ceist:282 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of adults and children who are awaiting dental treatment in each of the health board areas. [27578/00]
Written Answers. - Dental Service.
The provision of dental treatment services to eligible persons is the statutory responsibility of the health boards.
Health boards have adopted a planned targeted approach to the delivery of dental services to national school children. This is to ensure the optimum use of dental resources and equal access for all national school children to the same level of dental care. Children in certain classes, usually in second, fourth and sixth classes are dentally screened and follow up treatment is provided as necessary. Children who have attended national school retain eligibility up to their sixteenth birthday and treatment is provided within the resources available to the boards through an extension of the targeted approach. As the delivery of services to children is not demand led, patient waiting lists do not arise.
Services to eligible adults, that is, those with medical cards, are provided by private practitioners under the dental treatment services scheme. Patients receive treatment on demand for a range of treatment items. Prior approval is required for a small range of treatment items and this is usually conveyed within 30 days.
The following, which is the most recent information available to me, indicates the position at the end of the September quarter 2000 with regard to waiting lists for orthodontic assessment and treatment.
|
Health Board |
Waiting Time ForAssessment |
Waiting Time ForTreatment |
Assessment WaitingList |
Treatment WaitingList |
|
Eastern Regional Health Authority |
5.25 years |
1-1.5 years |
10,283 |
847 |
|
Midland Health Board |
3 months |
1.5 years |
35 |
174 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
2-2.5 years |
2-3 years |
2,711 |
1,488 |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
n/a |
2-2.5 years |
n/a |
867 |
|
North-Western Health Board |
4 months |
2.6-3 years |
80 |
2,107 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
10 weeks |
16 months |
238 |
567 |
|
Southern Health Board |
patients born in 1986 are currently being given appointments for assessment. |
3.5-4 years |
5,000 (app) |
4,364 |
|
Western Health Board |
6 months |
4 years |
446 |
2,179 |