Vol. 413 No. 5
159 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if she will outline (1) the estimated number of children waiting for orthodontic treatment in the Southern Health Board area, (2) whether they have been classified by urgency of treatment, (3) the services which are available for their treatment and (4) the average duration of waiting period for each category.
The Southern Health Board have informed me that 1,982 children are currently undergoing treatment and that the numbers awaiting are: Category A — None; Category B — 767; and Category C — 42. These categories are based on the degree of priority of need for specialised orthodontic treatment on the basis of guidelines issued to the health boards by the Department of Health. The waiting period varies from eight months to four years.
Two private orthodontists have been providing service on behalf of the Southern Health Board on a sessional basis. However, in addition to these the board have now succeeded in recruiting a full-time consultant orthodontist. This appointment will considerably improve the availability of orthodontic services in the area and will also enable the board to commence a programme of orthodontic training for clinical dental surgeons from the board's staff. The board expect to be in a position to bring a further 500 new cases into treatment in 1992.
