Vol. 531 No. 3
267 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has any plans to amend the guidelines for orthodontic treatment in view of the fact that many people with malocclusion are being refused treatment by the health board yet private orthodontist claim that treatment is needed; and the number of people who were refused treatment for this reason in each health board region in the past three years. [5995/01]
The provision of orthodontic treatment services is the statutory responsibility of the health boards. My Department issued guidelines to health boards in 1985 on the criteria applicable in assessing priority of need for specialist orthodontic treatment; the guidelines are based on the degree of handicap and severity of malocclusion which prioritises need for treatment.
The report of the review group on orthodontic services, the Moran Report, recommended that all health boards use the same severity index to determine need and that provision of orthodontic treatment should continue on the basis of priority need. There have been discussions between my Department and representatives of the chief executive officers of the health boards on the report and its implications. Proposals in the report are being progressively implemented. Amendments to the 1985 guidelines are being finalised with the chief executive officers of the health boards and the review group on orthodontic services.
Information on patients refused orthodontic treatment is not maintained by six of the health boards. The information from the Southern Health Board and Western Health Board is as follows:
|
Health Board |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
SouthernHealth Board |
1,100 approx. |
980 approx. |
2,000 approx. |
|
WesternHealth Board |
1,383 |
1,211 |
1,187 |
