Health Experts Issue Warning Over Lengthy Waiting Lists for Orthodontic Treatment in Wales
Health experts have fired a warning after it was revealed that some people in Wales are waiting several years for orthodontic treatment.
Evidence presented to the Welsh Assembly suggested that there was a lack of funding and resources, which had contributed to lengthy waiting lists for treatment. Research related to the provision of orthodontic treatment in Wales confirmed that some patients are waiting more than three years for treatment and medical experts warned that there was a severe lack of funding, which was likely to ensure that the situation would not improve in the future.
Evidence to suggest that other areas of medicine and dentistry are also being neglected was also presented. Waiting lists for hospital treatment are often over two and a half years and some people are even waiting longer than 12 months for primary care services, including GP treatment.
Public Health Wales also added that it may not be possible to sustain the current funding for orthodontic treatment due to increased pressure on health services and this would lead to an even more worrying situation in the coming years.
Representatives from Public Health Wales questioned whether services would have to be restricted in light of budget cuts, to those with the most complex issues.
Chair of the Orthodontic National Group, Debra Worthington, said that a lack of funding over a prolonged period of time has contributed to waiting lists and recommended that the government in Wales acts to introduce a one-off measure to clear the backlog and ensure that patients get the treatment they need much faster.
The investigation was carried out for the assembly’s Health and Social Care Committee.
Join this Discussion