Written answers
Thursday, 10 February 2005
Department of Health and Children
Health Services
5:00 pm
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 65: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of persons awaiting orthodontic treatment in the various Health Service Executive areas at the latest date for which figures are available; the number awaiting assessment for such treatment; if she will report on the trends in the past five years and on the waiting times for assessment and treatment in the respective Health Service Executive areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4153/05]
Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for orthodontic services.
The chief officers of the HSE areas have informed my Department of the following information on their orthodontic assessment and treatment waiting lists, as shown in the table, as at the end of December 2004.
| Assessment Waiting List | Treatment Waiting List | |||||
| Health Service Executive | Numbers awaiting assessment | Average waiting time (months) | Category A | Average waiting time (months) | Category B | Average waiting time (months) |
| South Western Area | 403 | 3- 6 | 619 | 12 | 254 | 24 |
| East Coast Area | 121 | < 3
33< 6
167< 18
Northern Area
135
3- 6
97< 18
2466< 36
Midland Area
173
4
Nil
No Waiting Time
312
12
Mid Western Area
2,896
24- 36
Nil
No Waiting Time
730
24- 36
North Eastern Area
Nil
No waiting time
8
1.5- 2
276
18
North Western Area
2,557
10.5
179
8
1,191
24.5
South Eastern Area
236
2- 2.5
Nil
No Waiting Time
675
18
Southern Area
2,853
According to Date of Birth. Currently 1990
Nil
No Waiting Time
3,362
42- 48
Western Area
580
12
Nil
No Waiting Time
584
30
Total
9,954
936
10,017Patients in category A require immediate treatment and include those with congenital abnormalities of the jaws such as cleft lip and palate and patients with major skeletal discrepancies between the sizes of the jaws. Patients in category B have less severe problems than category A patients.The number of cases treated is dependent on the level of resources available, in terms of qualified staff, in the area and this is reflected in the treatment waiting list. In fact, the provision of orthodontic services is currently restricted due to the limited availability of trained specialist clinical staff to assess and treat patients and, accordingly, HSE areas do not normally maintain category C waiting lists.My Department has taken steps to address the shortage of trained staff and improve orthodontic services through the grade of specialist in orthodontics. Six dentists successfully completed their three year specialist in orthodontics training and commenced work in the HSE in October 2004 and a further 13 are currently in training.Although the Deputy has requested information on waiting list trends over the last five years, complete records at a national level are only available from September 2000. The above table shows that at the end of the December 2004 quarter, there were 9,954 patients awaiting orthodontic assessment and 10,953 patients awaiting orthodontic treatment. This compares favourably with 18,793 patients awaiting orthodontic assessment and 12,593 patients awaiting orthodontic treatment at the end of the September 2000 quarter and represents a reduction of 47% and 13% approximately, respectively, in the period to December 2004.Finally, at the end of the December 2004 quarter, there were 23,572 patients receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This means that there are over twice as many patients getting orthodontic treatment as there are waiting to be treated and more than 8,500 extra patients are getting treatment from the Health Service Executive since the end of the September 2000 quarter.>
Question 66: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the cancer strategy will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4195/05]
The national cancer forum is currently finalising a new national cancer strategy which is expected to be completed in the spring. The national cancer forum, a multidisciplinary group of experts in cancer care, has conducted an extensive consultation process with professional bodies, voluntary organisations and the general public. In developing an organisational model for the delivery of cancer treatment services, the forum's considerations have been informed by the broad strategic context in which the cancer strategy exists, a review of the current status of cancer care, a review of the literature evidence concerning key aspects of the organisation of cancer services and a review of international models of care. The forum has concluded that the current fragmented arrangements for the delivery of cancer services cannot be recommended to deliver best quality cancer care. Cancer care is a dynamic process involving the interaction of many different elements of the health system. Although they are often considered separately, the overall quality and performance of services as delivered to patients is dependent in a very significant way on how well each of these elements integrate and co-ordinate with each other. They must be planned and organised in a manner which facilitates integration so that, from the perspective of the user, the whole system operates in a complimentary and efficient manner. The new strategy will have regard to the multi-faceted aspects of cancer control. The key priority in the development of improved cancer care is that cancer patients will have access to multidisciplinary care to ensure optimum treatment and best outcomes in line with international best practice. The strategy will set out the key priorities for the development of cancer services over the coming years and will make recommendations on health promotion, screening and early detection, cancer treatment services, genetics, supportive care, research and survivorship. This is especially important as more people are living longer with cancer than in previous years. Oncology services nationally have experienced significant development and expansion in recent years. The key goal of the national cancer strategy 1996 was to achieve a 15% decrease in mortality from cancer in the under 65 year age group in the ten year period from 1994. An external evaluation of the extent to which the objectives of the national cancer strategy 1996 have been met demonstrated that this figure was achieved in 2001, which was three years ahead of target. The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients nationally. |
Martin Ferris
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