HSE dentists slam budget cuts
Four of the most senior dentists working for the Irish Health Service Executive have slammed budget cuts, which have put an end to free dental care for millions of citizens.
The group of dental surgeons, which comprises of regional leaders, Dr Joe Green, Dr Mary O’Connor, Dr Anne O’Neill and Dr Barney Murphy, have criticised the Health Service Executive and said the cuts would result in “significant governance, management and operational risk issues.” The four regional dental surgeons said the lack of warning had come as a shock to residents; they insisted a transitional period would have helped to ease patients into the new system and would have enabled staff to get used to the new measures.
Dentists were well aware of the financial difficulties facing the government; however, they did not expect such drastic cuts with so little warning; suddenly around three million patients faced losing reduced rate care and free routine treatments, even though they are still paying the same rate of tax.
The budget cuts came in very quickly following the initial announcement that funding would be decreased and mass confusion has ensued; patients that had already booked appointments prior to the changes in funding are unsure whether they are entitled to reduced rates and dentists are confused about which services they are allowed to offer to which patients.
The changes in dental funding will undoubtedly have a huge impact on dental health amongst the people that relied on state support through the medical card dental scheme; dentists from the Irish Dental Association have urged government health ministers to reconsider the policy and fear that many patients will now go without treatment they need, leaving them vulnerable to more serious oral health conditions down the line. The government has already said there is no room for manoeuvre on this issue.
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