Dental service figures are manipulated
It is the duty of the Minister for Health and Children to determine what patients are eligible for orthodontic treatment and to ensure that adequate training programmes are available to train specialised personnel.
There are people living in an ivory tower in the Department of Health who believe we have an adequate orthodontic service.
Figures are quoted on the number of patients receiving orthodontic treatment, but no criteria are laid down by the department as to what constitutes a patient under treatment. In some areas it can mean patients under appliance treatment; in others it can mean referring a patient for an x-ray.
We know there are three categories of patient eligible for treatment: A, B, C. However, the department only collects data relating to categories A and B and so their lists of patients awaiting orthodontic treatment deliberately excludes almost one-third of the patients who would be eligible for treatment.
It is heartening to see there are more specialists working within the public health service, but maybe the minister can explain why her department specifically allows the people from the Cork/Munster area to be excluded from training programmes in this country.
I am happy that the existence of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children has been recognised by the Department of Health and Children. However, I will be more impressed if the minister begins to implement, rather than ignore, the recommendations of that committee.
Hot air and waffle do not treat patients and manipulated statistics do not provide evidence of a successful service.
If the Minister for Health wishes to understand the difficulties that her department is creating for the people of Cork and Kerry, then I will be quite happy to meet her.
Ian O’Dowling
Consultant Orthodontist
Orthodontic Unit
St Finbarr’s Hospital
Douglas Road
Cork.
