Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for raising this important issue. As he knows, the provision of dental and other services to patients with special needs is a priority. The public dental service of the HSE provides dental services to children up to 16 years of age, and to people of all ages with special needs, through its dental clinics. All HSE denial clinics prioritise emergency care for children up to the age of 16 and treatment for special needs patients. As it is not always possible or appropriate to provide oral health services to special needs patients in dental clinics, some dental services, including general dental anaesthetic services, are provided in general acute hospitals, particularly for patients who require special care. The HSE's policy is that general anaesthesia should, if possible, be avoided in the practice of dentistry. I am informed by the HSE that since 2012, it has been upskilling dental teams in conscious sedation as an alternative. The upskilling of senior dentists in other behavioural techniques and in sedation reduces the reliance on staff in the acute sector, thereby improving access and providing a range of modalities to dentists to treat patients with special needs. These developments, together with regular validation of waiting lists, aim to provide more appropriate and timely access for patients who require these specialised services. Nevertheless, general anaesthetic services continue to be provided on determination of clinical need.

The HSE has advised me that it is aware of and is dealing with the delays that have been affecting patients in area 5 of the community health organisation, which includes south Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford, due to a lack of local access to general anaesthesia in acute facilities. I can inform the Senator that three full-day general anaesthetic sessions are to be facilitated exclusively for patients with special needs at Aut Even Hospital in Kilkenny. Two full days will be facilitated before Christmas, providing treatment for up to ten patients within area 5, and a further day will be provided in early January 2017 to provide treatment for a further five patients. Up to 15 patients will receive treatment under this initiative. The success of this initiative will be evaluated to assess whether it should be further developed. I am informed by the HSE that it is considering other options to provide these services in area 5. As Senator Conway has mentioned, under the Health Act 2004 the HSE is required to manage and deliver health and personal social services, or arrange for such services to be delivered on its behalf. Section 6 of the Health Service Executive (Governance) Act 2013 prevents the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. However, it does not prevent the Minister from making representations in this regard.