Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

672. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to children in need of urgent dental work facing wait times of several years (details supplied); and the measures that are in place to address this issue. [35417/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have the greatest level of need and have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. I am aware of that there are currently significant delays in accessing this service and that the HSE has put in place a number of measures to address waiting times.

The filling of permanent vacancies is being prioritised, with the recent recruitment of a Consultant Orthodontist in CHO 6 (Loughlinstown, Dublin) and competitions ongoing in the South East and Kerry.

I recently announced the Waiting List Action Plan initiative for 2022, where funding was made available for identified community initiatives, including a €4.1m allocation to focus on orthodontics.

The HSE extended the orthodontic procurement programme that allows patients to have treatment with private Specialist Orthodontists. Under the updated framework children and young people assessed as Grade 4 - whose care that can be appropriately dealt in a community practice setting, and who have been waiting over 4 years are offered treatment. To date over 742 patients have accepted transfer and are currently in treatment.

The HSE is also developing service improvement initiatives to ensure that all referrals will receive an orthodontic assessment within 6 months and that the number of inappropriate referrals will be reduced.

Access to orthodontic treatment in another EU jurisdiction is also available under the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive for patients that are already on an orthodontic treatment waiting list.  Many patients in border areas have accessed care in Northern Ireland through this route pre-Brexit. This is being continued through the Northern Ireland Planned Health Care Scheme.