Approximately six months has been added to the treatment waiting list for orthodontics, the Regional Health Forum was told this week.
Galway city Green Party councillor Martina O’Connor [pictured below] had enquired about the estimated time that has been added to the waiting period from assessment to commencement of “braces” treatment for adolescents in Merlin Park?
She asked if a full service has recommenced, and if not what is the roadmap to recommencing this service, and was told by Tony Canavan, CEO, Saolta University Health Care Group that approximately six months has been added to the treatment waiting list for orthodontics.
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He said that currently patients are being taken off the waiting list in order to try to clear the backlog of patients that were not seen during the lockdown. The aim is to finish as many patients as possible before the Winter.
“A full service has recommenced but due to Covid guidelines with regards to cross-infection control, it is only possible to see approximately 60 per cent of the patients that would have been seen previously per day. Assessment appointments to establish eligibility for treatment have not as yet recommenced,” he added.
