Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 4

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

287 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the budget amount given to each health board for orthodontic services for the year 2000; the health boards which provide orthodontic services from their own staff resources; the health boards which have approval to sub-contract work to private orthodontists in total or in part: if health boards need specific approval to sub-contract work to private orthodontists or if they can do so without Departmental approval; if national negotiations are carried out with the Dental Union at individual health board level or Department of Health and Children level; and if he will make a statement on the matter and outline his plans to improve the current poor orthodontic services in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area. [27075/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Health boards meet the ongoing costs of the orthodontic services from the boards' overall allocation of grant each year. The overall allocation does not specify funding levels for individual services. This is a matter for the boards to determine having regard to their priorities.

However, this year I have made the following additional allocations available to the boards on an ongoing basis, specifically for the further development of orthodontic services:

Health Board	Allocation(£million)
Eastern Regional Health Authority	0.300
Midland Health Board	0.100
Mid Western Health Board	0.100
North Eastern Health Board	0.300
North Western Health Board	0.150
South Eastern Health Board	0.100
Southern Health Board	0.250
Western Health Board	0.150

All boards, with the exception of the Midland Health Board, have a consultant-led service in place. In the regional orthodontic units dental teams provide orthodontic services under the overall direction and supervision of the consultant. The Midland Health Board currently provides orthodontic services by arrangements with private orthodontists and hopes to be successful in recruiting a consultant from a recent competition. All health boards may, at their discretion, enter into arrangements with private orthodontists for the provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible patients at approved rates. Conditions of service at a national level are negotiated with the staff associations through the Health Service Employers Agency.

As part of the Estimates for 2001 the following improvements are planned for the Eastern Regional Health Authority: the employment of a locum consultant orthodontist; the recruitment of two additional orthodontists on a permanent basis; the appointment of six community orthodontists (two in each area health board); contracting of services from private orthodontists at approved rates; recruitment of three clinicians with M. Orth. qualifications to fill the existing vacancies in the regional orthodontic unit at St James's Hospital; recruitment of three additional clinicians with M. Orth. qualification for the unit at St James's; recruitment of 12 nursing and nine administrative support staff for the additional clinicians as outlined above; the commissioning of five additional surgeries at St James's Hospital which will come on stream early in 2001; new regional orthodontic units are also being established at Beaumont and Loughlinstown – the unit at Loughlinstown is expected to be operational early in January next; existing waiting lists will be validated.

The authority is also pressing ahead with organisational changes in the orthodontic services. Orthodontics will be managed and operated in the region on the basis of three services, one in each area health board. The combination of these developments should result in significantly reduced waiting times and waiting lists for orthodontic services in the eastern region.