Cork TD slams theatre closures amid long waits for dental treatment

A Cork North Central TD has called for additional theatre space to be provided for adults with additional needs who require general anaesthetic for dental procedures, as HSE data shows they wait over a year on average in Cork.

A HSE spokesperson explained: “The HSE Community Dental Service provides emergency care, dental examinations and treatment to children up to the age of 16.

“The service also provides dental treatment directly to a range of adult patients with additional needs, with the majority of adult medical card holders being provided with access through the DTSS [Dental Treatment Services Scheme].

“A small proportion of children and adults with additional needs will be identified as being unable to accept dental care without the assistance of sedation.” 

The data showed that the average wait time in the HSE South West region, made up of Cork and Kerry, for these adults with additional needs requiring sedation was 12-18 months.

“These wait times were at a point in time and subject to regular change as this data is not routinely collated by the regions,” the HSE spokesperson added.

“The waiting periods for each location are individual and resource dependent. All of the services have systems in place to manage those who have urgent (symptomatic) need for care. 

"The ability to schedule patients for dental care under GA can be impacted by local hospital available resources, for example, unavailability of day ward or theatre staff shortages.” 

It comes as The Echo revealed last week that two Cork hospital theatres, one each in Cork University Hospital and South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, are closed, while two in Bantry General Hospital only open 2.5 days a week.

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, to whom the HSE data was provided in response to a parliamentary question, said: 

“What is extremely frustrating is that we have hospital theatres closed, or only open part-time, while the HSE blame a lack of theatre capacity for these issues. 

"Leaving cavities, broken teeth and other dental problems for longer than a year is a recipe for disaster. This is putting these adults through discomfort and stress.

“The HSE claim that if a person is in pain they will be seen immediately but many of these people are nonverbal and I have seen a report from an occupational therapist warning that a person was in pain but could not express this.” 

He said that healthcare services in general “have been neglected to the point that the most basic treatment cannot be offered to people in a timely manner”, saying that this is “forcing families to travel and pay for private care”.

Mr Gould concluded: “We need to see the government sanctioning the use of theatres that are currently closed or not open full-time to clear these waiting lists. This should be a priority but once again those with disabilities fall to the bottom of the agenda.”