Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:888 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to expedite results for smear tests for women in the north west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22177/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 29 September 2004
Ceisteanna (710, 711, 712, 713)
Freagraí scríofa
The provision of health services in the north west is a matter for the North Western Health Board. My Department has asked the chief executive officer of the board to examine this matter and to reply directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.
Question No. 889 answered with QuestionNo. 887.
David Stanton
Ceist:890 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 26 May 2004 the amount provided to each health board of the addition funding of €5 million from the treatment purchase fund provided to health boards and authorities specifically for the purchase of orthodontic treatment in June 2002; the number of extra patients that are being treated in each health board/authority as a result of the provision of the additional funding; if all of this additional funding has now been expended by the health boards; if not, the amounts remaining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22184/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards in the first instance.
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. In 2003, my Department and the health boards funded 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 dentists in specialist training for orthodontics. 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 commenced duty on the 1st of December 2003. 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 towards the treatment of persons on the orthodontic waiting lists. My Department instructed the health boards/authority that the funding was to be allocated on the basis of the following principles: treatment of clients longest on the waiting list in accordance with the severity of their treatment need; allocation to provide additional treatments over and above what was provided in the normal way; efficiency and value for money and; equitable delivery across health board populations.
The chief executive officers of the health boards/authority have informed my Department of the following information regarding patients receiving treatment under the treatment purchase fund as at the end of June 2004:
|
Health Board/Authority |
TPF Allocation € (1) |
Numbers in treatment |
|
ERHA (2) |
1.815m |
721 |
|
MHB |
0.289m |
198 |
|
MWHB (3) |
0.451m |
176 |
|
NEHB (4) |
0.421m |
196 |
|
NWHB |
0.285m |
119 |
|
SEHB (5) |
0.554m |
n/a |
|
SHB (6) |
0.720m |
258 |
|
WHB (7) |
0.465m |
101 |
(1) The proportion of allocated funds spent to date will vary according to private capacity in the health board areas.
(2) 27 of these patients have completed their treatment under this scheme
(3) 15 of these patients have completed their treatment under this scheme.
(4) 26 of these patients have completed their treatment under this scheme.
(5) 2,104 children getting orthodontic treatment from the board (at 30/6/04).
(6) 49 of these patients have completed their treatment under this scheme.
(7) 13 of these patients have completed their treatment under this scheme.
Children in treatment receive between 18 to 24 appointments over the course of their treatment period so it is not possible to say how much of the money remains unspent but it is all committed to the treatment of the above patients.
Finally, the chief executive officers of the health boards/authority have informed me that at the end of the June quarter 2004, there were 20,236 children receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This means that there are over twice as many children getting orthodontic treatment as there are children waiting to be treated.
David Stanton
Ceist:891 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress that has been made with regard to the proposal to improve the training facilities at the Cork Dental School for orthodontics; the further progress that has been made in the construction of a large orthodontic unit and support facilities; the funding needed to construct such a unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22185/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards in the first instance.
The commitment of the Department to orthodontic 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. The chief executive officer of the Southern Health Board has reported that the professor, who commenced duty in December last, is currently in the process of establishing the post-graduate training programme leading to specialist qualification in orthodontics. In recognition of the importance of the post of professor of orthodontics 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, which is currently at an early design stage, will 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. As the project is at an early design stage, the total funding required has yet to be finalised.
David Stanton
Ceist:892 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children in each of the health boards and authorities currently awaiting orthodontic assessment and treatment respectively; the average waiting times for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22186/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health boards/authority in the first instance.
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. In 2003, my Department and the health boards funded 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 dentists in specialist training for orthodontics. 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 commenced duty on 1 December 2003. 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 is enabling health boards to recruit additional staff, and where necessary to engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients and to build additional orthodontic facilities.
In June 2002, my Department provided additional funding of €5 million from the treatment purchase fund to health boards/authority 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 boards/authority have informed my Department of the following information on their orthodontic waiting lists as at the end of June 2004 quarter:
|
Assessment Waiting List |
Treatment Waiting List |
|||||
|
Health Board |
Average waiting time (months) |
Category A |
Average waiting time (months) |
Category B |
Average waiting time (months) |
|
|
SWAHB |
382 |
3-6 |
784 |
< 10 |
517 |
< 12 |
|
ECAHB |
130 |
< 3 |
37 |
< 6 |
183 |
< 18 |
|
NAHB |
257 |
3-6 |
125 |
< 12 |
2,249 |
< 24 |
|
MHB |
228 |
4 |
Nil |
No waiting time |
187 |
12 |
|
MWHB |
2,784 |
24-36 |
Nil |
No waiting time |
519 |
24-36 |
|
NEHB |
Nil |
No waiting time |
6 |
1.5-2 |
286 |
12-18 |
|
NWHB |
1,999 |
5.5 |
223 |
14 |
1,081 |
32.6 |
|
SEHB |
122 |
1.5 |
Nil |
No waiting time |
667 |
20 |
|
SHB |
2,972 |
According to date of birth. Currently 1990 |
Nil |
No waiting time |
3,172 |
42-48 |
|
WHB |
558 |
11 |
Nil |
No waiting time |
866 |
38 |
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.
Finally, the chief executive officers of the health boards/authority have informed my Department that at the end of the June quarter 2004, there were 20,236 children receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This means that there are nearly twice as many children getting orthodontic treatment as there are children waiting to be treated.