Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 2

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

499 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the waiting time for orthodontic assessment and the provision of treatment in each health board area; and the progress regarding the proposed pilot scheme for the Northern Area Health Board in Dublin. [21669/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

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

The chief executive officer of the Eastern Regional Health Authority has informed me that the Northern Area Health Board proposes to commence the scheme subject to clarifying issues raised by the representative body of participating private orthodontists, Orthodontic Society of Ireland, in the final stages of their negotiations with the board and subject to legal opinion.

I am informed by the chief executive officers of the health boards that at the end of the June 2001 quarter there were 15,527 patients in treatment. The chief executive officers of the health boards have also informed me that the number of patients awaiting assessment and treatment in their areas of responsibility at the end of the June 2001 quarter were as follows:

Health Board		Assessment Waiting List Waiting Time (Months)	Category A	Treatment Waiting List	Waiting Time (Months)	Category B	Waiting Time (Months)
ERHA	11,608	72	195	3	685	24
Midland	148	1-3	Nil	N/A	303	15-21
Mid-Western	3,308	24-36	Nil	N/A	1,432	24-36
North-Eastern	Nil	N/A	10	1.5-2	781	24-30
North-Western	450	9	528	32-41	2,075	28-48
South-Eastern	320	2.5-3	Nil	N/A	547	14
Southern	5,500	Currently AssessingPatients born inSeptember 1987	Nil	N/A	5,164	42-48
Western	676	9	Nil	N/A	1,783	48
Totals	22,010		733		12,770

Patients are referred for secondary care orthodontic treatment in accordance with guidelines issued by my Department that prioritise need for treatment based on the degree of handicap and severity of malocclusion. 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 but have a definite need of treatment and are placed on the orthodontic treatment waiting list.