Vol. 554 No. 5
994 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people currently placed on waiting lists for assessment or treatment for orthodontics in the Western Health Board area; the current length of time a person must spend on each list before treatment com mences; and the plans there are to reduce this waiting time. [15846/02]
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services on a national basis, including those services provided in the Western Health Board area.
The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. The introduction of this pivotal grade will have a tremendous impact on the future delivery of orthodontics in the public service: ultimately, it will address the issues of recruitment and retention of qualified clinical personnel in the service.
This year, my Department expects to fund 11 dentists from various health boards – including the Western Health Board – for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at two separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 11 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training last year and one dentist whose specialist training is nearing completion. Two dentists from the Western Health Board have recently completed their specialist in orthodontics training and have taken up duty. This is an aggregate of 18 public service dentists currently in training for specialist in orthodontics qualifications.
The training programmes concerned provide a broad academic background and experience in different clinical treatment methods and are made possible by co-operation between health boards, health board consultant orthodontists and dental teaching institutions.
These measures will complement the other structural changes being introduced into the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area. The grade of orthodontic therapist will act as a support to the consultant orthodontist, specialists and other dentists working in the orthodontic unit thus enabling a greater volume of treatment.
In the short term, I have funded an orthodontic initiative to ease current pressures on the system. Additional funding of €6.729 million was approved for orthodontic services last year of which €4.698 million was to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. This is enabling health boards to recruit additional staff and engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients. The additional funding of €0.628 million allocated to the Western Health Board in 2001 for orthodontic services, includes €0.533 million for an orthodontic initiative in the board. Under the initiative, the board has recruited an additional specialist in orthodontics and engaged the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat cases.
995 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be called for orthodontic treatment; the date they were placed on the waiting list; and the current position of this person on the list. [15847/02]
Responsibility for the provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons in County Mayo rests with the Western Health Board. My Department has asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and to reply to him directly.
Questions Nos. 996 and 997 answered with Question No. 902.
