Vol. 549 No. 1
169 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the action taken by him in each of the past four years to reduce the numbers on orthodontic waiting lists; the number of patients who have received treatment; the number awaiting treatment; his plans for the service during the next four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6104/02]
The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. Over the past four years, I have initiated a range of measures to increase the number of patients in orthodontic treatment. At the invitation of my Department, a group representative of health board management and consultant orthodontists reviewed orthodontic services. The objective of this review was to ensure equity in the provision of orthodontic treatment throughout the health boards. Following this review, known as the Moran report, structural changes are being introduced in the orthodontic services. One of the review group's recommendations was that appropriately trained, qualified and registered specialist orthodontists be employed in regional orthodontic units to ensure the continuation of a high quality service. The Dental Council has established a register of dental specialists with a division of orthodontics and agreement has been reached at the Health Service Employers Agency on the introduction of the grade of specialist in orthodontics into the orthodontics service. This agreement resulted from complex and time consuming negotiations and its introduction will have a tremendous impact on the future delivery of orthodontics.
Six dentists from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, North-Eastern Health Board and South-Eastern Health Board commenced their training last October for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. My Department has provided €0.541 million in 2002 for such training. Furthermore, three dentists from the Western Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board are already in specialist training for orthodontics and this brings the total number of dentists in such training to nine. The general objective of these training programmes is to educate dentists to become specialists in orthodontics with a broad academic background and experience in different clinical treatment methods. They are made possible by co-operation between health boards, consultant orthodontists and dental teaching institutions. Discussions on providing an additional training course to commence this year are also under way.
