Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 1

Written Answers. - Health Board Services.

Olwyn Enright

Ceist:

386 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applicants each year for the past five years for orthodontic treatment in each of the health board areas; the number who are successful; the number who are unsuccessful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26391/03]

Olwyn Enright

Ceist:

387 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children treated each year for the past five years in each of the health board areas under his Department's guidelines, 1985 for orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26392/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 386 and 387 together.

The provision of orthodontic treatment is the statutory responsibility of the health boardsauthority in the first instance.

Under the Health Act 1970, a child is eligible for orthodontic treatment on the basis of defects noted at a school health examination carried out while the child is attending national school. There is no application process per se as children in specific classes in national school, usually in second, fourth and sixth class, are dentally screened and referred for orthodontic review as necessary.

The chief executive officers of the health boards-authority have informed me of the information on their waiting lists in each of the past five years, which is detailed in the table following:

Date	Assessment Waiting List	Treatment Waiting List
April 1999		22,000 approx.
September 2000	18,793	12,593
December 2001	20,877	11,890
December 2002	13,973	9,999
September 2003	8,977	9,320

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services on a national basis.

The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. This year, my Department and the health boards are funding 13 dentists from various health boards for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at three separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training in 2001. Thus there is an aggregate of 19 public service dentists currently in training for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. 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.

Furthermore, the commitment of the Department to training development is manifested in the funding provided to both the training of specialist clinical staff and the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics for the Cork Dental School. This appointment at the school will facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualification in orthodontics. The chief executive officer of the Southern Health Board has reported that the professor will take up duty in December next. In recognition of the importance of this post at Cork Dental School my Department has given approval in principle to a proposal from the school to further substantially improve the training facilities there for orthodontics. This project should see the construction of a large orthodontic unit and support facilities; it will ultimately support an enhanced teaching and treatment service to the wider region under the leadership of the professor of orthodontics.

Orthodontic initiative funding of €4.698 million was provided to the health boards-authority in 2001 and this has enabled health boards to recruit additional staff, engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients and build additional orthodontic facilities.

In June 2002, my Department provided additional funding of €5 million from the treatment purchase fund to health boards specifically for the purchase of orthodontic treatment. This funding is enabling boards to provide both additional sessions for existing staff and purchase treatment from private specialist orthodontic practitioners.

The chief executive officers of the health boards-authority have informed me of the information on their numbers in treatment in each of the past five years, which is detailed in the table following:

Numbers in Treatment

Health Board	May 1999	September 2000	December 2001	December 2002	September 2003
ERHA	3,923	2,300 approx.	3,776	3,896	4,064
MHB	1,203	723	1,700	1,704	1,957
MWHB	2,114	1,839	1,593	2,139	1,863
NEHB	1,043	1,531	2,292	2,491	2,675
NWHB	1,603	2,076	2,099	2,774	2,952
SEHB	1,086	1,744	2,024	2,178	2,211
SHB	2,037	2,400 approx	2,300	3,473	3,400
WHB	1,200	2,426	1,511	1,496	1,662
Total	14,209	15,039	17,295	20,151	20,784

This means that at the end of September 2003, there were more than twice as many children getting orthodontic treatment as there are children on the treatment waiting list and more than 6,500 extra children are getting treatment from health boards since 1999.