Post by Banker on Feb 21, 2012 17:44:40 GMT 7
West Australians are waiting for up to three years for appointments at public dental clinics, with the waiting list growing to more than 24,000.
As of December 31 last year 24,178 patients were waiting for public dental treatment, an increase of 5.8 per cent or 1335 people compared to the December quarter in 2010.
The increase came despite the fact the number of visitors to the state's 22 public clinics during the quarter was down by 8,634 to 97,081.
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The Australian Dental Association said the figures, contained in the latest WA Health Performance report, were a result of government under-funding in the sector.
Public dental care is available to low-income families with health care cards and pensioners.
Several Perth clinics contacted by WAtoday.com.au said waiting times for an appointment ranged from 12 months to three years.
The longest wait of three years was in Morley, while Armadale and Fremantle had wait times of 18 months.
Residents in Middle Swan faced a two year wait, while in Victoria Park the wait was between 12 and 18 months.
For those who require urgent treatment each public clinic runs a daily emergency walk-in service, but these can attract long queues.
ADA WA chief executive Dr Stuart Gairns said WA was in a better position than the rest of the country.
He said dentist numbers were not the problem – as Australia was in fact facing an oversupply of dentists – but the public system simply didn't have the money to pay extra staff.
"The biggest issue is that the Commonwealth provides no funds for dental treatment for patients on state government waiting lists," he said.
"If additional funding was made available we could eradicate that waiting list, however that's an issue for the state government."
"In actual fact there are plenty of dentists who are willing and able to provide services."
Dr Gairns said all priority patients were seen as soon as possible, often with the help of a state scheme to subsidise the cost of private treatment.
He described last week's $165 million funding boost for dental services for those on low incomes as "pathetic."
The federal funding was part of the deal reached with the Greens in order for the means test on private health insurance rebate to pass through parliament.
"If they believe that is going to make any dent on waiting lists across Australia, they are ill-advised," Dr Gairns said.
The Health Department attributed the rise to increasing awareness among the 428,632 eligible patients that they could access subsidised dental care.
"Approximately 20 per cent of these eligible patients are provided with subsidised dental care (emergency and non-urgent) annually," a Dental Health Services spokeswoman said.
"There is an increased awareness amongst this group of the population that subsidised dental care exists for eligible patients. It is this awareness that is driving up the number waiting for non-urgent dental care.
"Eligible patients are able to receive same day emergency dental care from a public dental clinic."
The spokeswoman said the average waiting time for non-urgent dental services was 19 months, as of December 2011.
Professor Jeff Richardson from Monash University, who authored a report into the public dental system in December, said low income groups who relied on the public scheme were at a disadvantage.
"It is extremely un-generous. There is no other professional service where there is so little given by the government and private insurance," he said.
He said about 50,000 people each year suffered adverse health effects, including heart problems, due to a lack of dental treatment.
Professor Richardson said some patients were put off by the waiting lists, only for their problem to worsen.
"Many people don't act and they may end up in hospital, particularly elderly people, and this results in deterioration in their quality of life," he said.
"It is not a good system. People who are in extreme pain will obviously be seen first, but queues that long are undesirable."
Professor Richardson called for a national dental healthcare scheme to be established.
He said the costs to the economy of poor dental health were between $1.3 billion and $2 billion annually.
Read more: www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-patients-face-threeyear-wait-for-dentist-20120220-1tjdv.html#ixzz1n0ns5lnq
goo.gl/1Xi85
As of December 31 last year 24,178 patients were waiting for public dental treatment, an increase of 5.8 per cent or 1335 people compared to the December quarter in 2010.
The increase came despite the fact the number of visitors to the state's 22 public clinics during the quarter was down by 8,634 to 97,081.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The Australian Dental Association said the figures, contained in the latest WA Health Performance report, were a result of government under-funding in the sector.
Public dental care is available to low-income families with health care cards and pensioners.
Several Perth clinics contacted by WAtoday.com.au said waiting times for an appointment ranged from 12 months to three years.
The longest wait of three years was in Morley, while Armadale and Fremantle had wait times of 18 months.
Residents in Middle Swan faced a two year wait, while in Victoria Park the wait was between 12 and 18 months.
For those who require urgent treatment each public clinic runs a daily emergency walk-in service, but these can attract long queues.
ADA WA chief executive Dr Stuart Gairns said WA was in a better position than the rest of the country.
He said dentist numbers were not the problem – as Australia was in fact facing an oversupply of dentists – but the public system simply didn't have the money to pay extra staff.
"The biggest issue is that the Commonwealth provides no funds for dental treatment for patients on state government waiting lists," he said.
"If additional funding was made available we could eradicate that waiting list, however that's an issue for the state government."
"In actual fact there are plenty of dentists who are willing and able to provide services."
Dr Gairns said all priority patients were seen as soon as possible, often with the help of a state scheme to subsidise the cost of private treatment.
He described last week's $165 million funding boost for dental services for those on low incomes as "pathetic."
The federal funding was part of the deal reached with the Greens in order for the means test on private health insurance rebate to pass through parliament.
"If they believe that is going to make any dent on waiting lists across Australia, they are ill-advised," Dr Gairns said.
The Health Department attributed the rise to increasing awareness among the 428,632 eligible patients that they could access subsidised dental care.
"Approximately 20 per cent of these eligible patients are provided with subsidised dental care (emergency and non-urgent) annually," a Dental Health Services spokeswoman said.
"There is an increased awareness amongst this group of the population that subsidised dental care exists for eligible patients. It is this awareness that is driving up the number waiting for non-urgent dental care.
"Eligible patients are able to receive same day emergency dental care from a public dental clinic."
The spokeswoman said the average waiting time for non-urgent dental services was 19 months, as of December 2011.
Professor Jeff Richardson from Monash University, who authored a report into the public dental system in December, said low income groups who relied on the public scheme were at a disadvantage.
"It is extremely un-generous. There is no other professional service where there is so little given by the government and private insurance," he said.
He said about 50,000 people each year suffered adverse health effects, including heart problems, due to a lack of dental treatment.
Professor Richardson said some patients were put off by the waiting lists, only for their problem to worsen.
"Many people don't act and they may end up in hospital, particularly elderly people, and this results in deterioration in their quality of life," he said.
"It is not a good system. People who are in extreme pain will obviously be seen first, but queues that long are undesirable."
Professor Richardson called for a national dental healthcare scheme to be established.
He said the costs to the economy of poor dental health were between $1.3 billion and $2 billion annually.
Read more: www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-patients-face-threeyear-wait-for-dentist-20120220-1tjdv.html#ixzz1n0ns5lnq
goo.gl/1Xi85