Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.
P. J. Sheehan
Question:
38
Mr. Sheehan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the number of school pupils and school students awaiting orthodontic treatment in County Cork; and if all those school students will now receive immediate orthodontic treatment under the new quality and fairness health system announced by him recently.
[30757/01]
The provision of orthodontic services to eligible persons in County Cork is the responsibility of the Southern Health Board, SHB, in the first instance.
I have initiated a range of measures to substantially increase the capacity of the orthodontic services and reduce the waiting times for orthodontic treatment.
Structural changes are being introduced to the orthodontic service. These changes include the creation of the grade of specialist in orthodontics, the development of specialist training programmes and the creation of a grade of auxiliary dental worker to work in the orthodontic area. Agreement has now been reached at the Health Service Employers Agency on the creation of the specialist in orthodontics grade in the orthodontic service. In addition, six dentists from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, North-Eastern Health Board and South-Eastern Health Board commenced their training in October last for specialist dentist in orthodontics qualifications. Furthermore, three dentists from the Western Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board are already in specialist training for orthodontics and this brings the total number of dentists in such training to nine. Discussions on providing an additional training course to commence in 2002 are also under way.
In addition, my Department has also 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 qualifications in orthodontics. Applications for the post were invited when it was advertised on 19 October last. Capital funding of approximately £1 million or 1.269 million was also provided to the orthodontics unit there for its refurbishment to an appropriate standard. My Department would welcome proposals for a specialist training programme from this uni versity and the consultant orthodontists of the Southern Health Board and neighbouring boards.
Cognisant that it will be some time before these structural changes impact significantly on service levels, I asked health boards to develop proposals to make an immediate significant impact on their waiting lists. The Southern Health Board has been allocated an additional £0.938 million or 1.191 million this year for orthodontic services of which £0.813 million or 1.032 million was for an orthodontic initiative in the board's area. Under the initiative, the board propose to, amongst other things, recruit an additional two consultant orthodontists, develop new orthodontic units in Tralee and the northside of Cork city and commission four additional orthodontic chairs at the orthodontic unit in St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork.
The chief executive officer of the board has informed me that the Local Appointments Commission has recommended a candidate for one of the consultant orthodontist posts, to be based in the north of Cork city. The board is arranging with the Local Appointments Commission to re-advertise the other consultant post to expedite an early appointment.
Furthermore, as part of the initiative, my Department is also exploring with health boards new arrangements for the treatment of patients, both by private specialist orthodontic practitioners and in out-of-hours sessions by health board orthodontists.
The chief executive officer of the board has also informed me that there are approximately 3,497 children in County Cork awaiting orthodontic treatment and at the end of the September 2001 quarter, there were approximately 2,300 patients in orthodontic treatment in the board's area.
I am confident that when fully implemented this initiative, combined with the structural changes to the orthodontic service, will significantly increase the number of patients in and reduce waiting times for treatment in the Southern Health Board.
