State report reveals lengthy waiting lists
A state report has revealed that waiting lists in Western Australia are alarmingly long.
The latest figures show that many people are being forced to wait over a year for routine dental treatment, with residents in the Morley area waiting more than nineteen months for a dental check-up and locals in Middle Swan subjected to a wait of 13.9 months. A spokesman for the health service said that over 1300 patients are currently waiting for general dental treatment and more than 160 people are waiting for dentures in the Midland area.
Health service representatives say they are working hard to bring the waiting list times down and are aiming for a maximum wait of twelve months; however, money is tight and there has been widespread criticism of the government since dental health was left out of last week’s budget.
Michelle Roberts, a labour representative for the Midland area said more money needed to be invested in the area in order to improve services and cut waiting lists. Mrs Roberts said that dental care had been “neglected” and it was unsurprising that patients were having to wait long periods of time for treatment; she went on to criticise the government for leaving dental care out of the latest budget. Mrs Roberts said the Midland area deserved extra funding because there is high demand in the area. Michelle Roberts has encouraged people to talk to her about their experiences of waiting for dental care; she will then pass on the information to the Prime Minister.
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