Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:
101
Mr. Deenihan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his plans to reduce the four year waiting period for patients from County Kerry who are waiting for orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17656/03]
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 in the Southern Health Board, SHB, area and on a national basis.
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 in 2001, of which €4.698 million was to fund an initiative on orthodontic waiting lists. This enables health boards to recruit additional staff and engage the services of private specialist orthodontic practitioners to treat patients. The SHB was allocated an additional €1.191 million in 2001 for orthodontic services of which €1.032 million was for the orthodontic initiative. The post of consultant orthodontist for Tralee was advertised through the Local Appointments Commission, LAC, on two separate occasions but unfortunately there were no successful candidates. It is currently with the LAC for re-advertising. The efforts of the board are hindered by the limited availability of suitably qualified candidates for the post. However, 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 for the Cork Dental School. I am hopeful that the LAC will be successful in recruiting a suitable candidate for this post.
My Department has funded the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics at Cork University Dental School to facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualification in orthodontics. The Department recognises the importance of recruiting a professor at Cork Dental School; therefore, approval in principle has been given to a proposal from the school to further substantially improve the training facilities there for orthodontics and so enable the recruitment of a suitable candidate. 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 a professor of orthodontics.
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 SHB was allocated an additional €720,000 from this fund for the treatment of cases in this way.
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 last year and one dentist whose specialist training is nearing completion. Thus, there is an aggregate of 20 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.
Finally, the chief executive officer of the SHB has informed me that at the end of the March 2003 quarter, there were 3,400 patients receiving orthodontic treatment in the board. This is an increase of approximately 1,100 patients in orthodontic treatment when compared with the number of patients receiving treatment in December 2001.
