❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses staff shortages, closures, reduced hours, and temporary closures in the state's public dental system since September 2008, with detailed responses provided by the Child and Adolescent Area Health Service, North Metropolitan Area Health Service, and the Oral Health Centre of WA.
AnsweredQoN 8010Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to staff shortages in the public dental system (including school clinics), and ask:
(a) how many full-time equivalent vacancies are there presently in the State's public dental system;
(b) have any public dental services closed since September 2008 and, if so, which services have permanently closed and where are they located;
(c) have any public dental services reduced their opening hours since September 2008; and
(i) if so, which services;
(ii) if so, where are they located; and
(iii) if so, what are their revised operating hours; and
(d) have any public dental services undergone temporary closures since September 2008 due to staff shortages; and
(i) if so, which services; and
(ii) if so, where are they located?
(a) how many full-time equivalent vacancies are there presently in the State's public dental system;
(b) have any public dental services closed since September 2008 and, if so, which services have permanently closed and where are they located;
(c) have any public dental services reduced their opening hours since September 2008; and
(i) if so, which services;
(ii) if so, where are they located; and
(iii) if so, what are their revised operating hours; and
(d) have any public dental services undergone temporary closures since September 2008 due to staff shortages; and
(i) if so, which services; and
(ii) if so, where are they located?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 August 2012
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
83 days
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT AREA HEALTH SERVICE
(a) All current vacancies at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (PMH) are for Dental Specialists rather than Dentists. The dental specialists required at PMH include a 0.62 FTE oro-maxillo-facial surgeon who performs surgery and related procedures in the oral and facial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects and a 0.12 FTE specialist paediatric dentist, who treats infants, children and adolescents.
(b - d ii) Not applicable.
NORTH METROPOLITAN AREA HEALTH SERVICE
(a) Nil.
(b) Nil. However the following clinics have been relocated to meet demand:
Forrestfield Dental Therapy Centre (DTC) was replaced by Wattle Grove DTC.
Newborough DTC was replaced by Deanmore DTC.
Girrawheen DTC was replaced by Hudson Park DTC.
Mandurah DTC was replaced by Meadow Springs DTC.
Lynwood DTC was replaced by Bannister Creek DTC.
Greenwood Mobile DTC was replaced by Greenwood DTC.
(c) Nil.
(i - iii) Not applicable.
(d) Yes.
(i - ii) Dental Health Services is structured in geographical areas regarding the provision of clinical services. These geographical areas generally comprise a number of dental therapy centres (between 1 and 8) and may also include a public dental clinic for the provision of subsidised dental care to eligible adult patients or a private dental practitioner who participates in the Country Patients' Dental Subsidy Scheme (CPDSS).
In these geographical areas, when a dental therapy centre may be temporarily non-operational, the remaining dental therapy centres in that area, the public dental clinic or the private dental practitioner participating in the CPDSS are able to provide cover for emergency dental care. [See tabled paper no] for the clinics that experienced periods in which there was no service provision.
ORAL HEALTH CENTRE OF WA
Oral Health Centre of WA (OHCWA) (UWA) is contracted through Department of Health to provide specialist and some general dental treatment to eligible WA individuals. Answers for OHCWA are below:
(a) 5 Dental Clinic assistants and one Prosthodontist.
(b - d ii) Not applicable.
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(a) All current vacancies at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (PMH) are for Dental Specialists rather than Dentists. The dental specialists required at PMH include a 0.62 FTE oro-maxillo-facial surgeon who performs surgery and related procedures in the oral and facial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects and a 0.12 FTE specialist paediatric dentist, who treats infants, children and adolescents.
(b - d ii) Not applicable.
NORTH METROPOLITAN AREA HEALTH SERVICE
(a) Nil.
(b) Nil. However the following clinics have been relocated to meet demand:
Forrestfield Dental Therapy Centre (DTC) was replaced by Wattle Grove DTC.
Newborough DTC was replaced by Deanmore DTC.
Girrawheen DTC was replaced by Hudson Park DTC.
Mandurah DTC was replaced by Meadow Springs DTC.
Lynwood DTC was replaced by Bannister Creek DTC.
Greenwood Mobile DTC was replaced by Greenwood DTC.
(c) Nil.
(i - iii) Not applicable.
(d) Yes.
(i - ii) Dental Health Services is structured in geographical areas regarding the provision of clinical services. These geographical areas generally comprise a number of dental therapy centres (between 1 and 8) and may also include a public dental clinic for the provision of subsidised dental care to eligible adult patients or a private dental practitioner who participates in the Country Patients' Dental Subsidy Scheme (CPDSS).
In these geographical areas, when a dental therapy centre may be temporarily non-operational, the remaining dental therapy centres in that area, the public dental clinic or the private dental practitioner participating in the CPDSS are able to provide cover for emergency dental care. [See tabled paper no] for the clinics that experienced periods in which there was no service provision.
ORAL HEALTH CENTRE OF WA
Oral Health Centre of WA (OHCWA) (UWA) is contracted through Department of Health to provide specialist and some general dental treatment to eligible WA individuals. Answers for OHCWA are below:
(a) 5 Dental Clinic assistants and one Prosthodontist.
(b - d ii) Not applicable.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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