Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 2

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Michael Bell

Ceist:

439 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are in excess of 4,500 children waiting for orthodontic treatment in the North-Eastern Health Board area and that many of these children are waiting up to eight years for treatment; the recorded numbers in each county in the North-Eastern Health Board; the steps he will take to deal with the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21225/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The provision of orthodontic services is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance.

I am informed by the chief executive officer of the North-Eastern Health Board – NEHB – that there are currently 416 patients in the Louth-Monaghan area and 280 patients in the Meath-Cavan area on their orthodontic waiting lists; this is a total of 696 patients on the board's waiting list. The average waiting time for treatment is approximately 24 months. There were 1,719 patients in orthodontic treatment in the board as at the end of June 2001.

At the invitation of my Department, a group representative of health board management and consultant orthodontists reviewed the orthodontic services. The objective of this review was to ensure equity in the provision of orthodontic treatment throughout the health boards. Follow ing this review structural changes are being introduced in the orthodontic services. These changes include the creation of the grade of specialist in orthodontics, the development of specialist training programmes and the creation of a grade of auxiliary dental worker to work in the orthodontic area.

However, it will be some time before these structural changes impact significantly on service levels. Consequently, I asked health boards to develop proposals to make an immediate significant impact on their waiting lists. An additional investment of £0.440 million (0.558 million) has been approved for orthodontic services this year in the NEHB, of which £0.090 million (0.114 million) was for its orthodontic initiative. Under the initiative, the board propose to undertake additional sessions by its staff.

Agreement has been reached between the NEHB and the Dublin Dental Hospital on the training of specialists to work in orthodontics. One dentist from the board will commence training in October 2001. A dentist from the board is currently in specialist training for orthodontics in Belfast.

In addition my Department has funded the development of regional orthodontic units in Navan and Dundalk both of which are now operational.

Question No. 440 answered with Question No. 401.