AQW 20236/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQO 266/22-27, for an update on the progress made by his Department on their assessment of the April 2024 Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health report Worried and Waiting.
Asked by Danny Donnelly MLA on 9 January 2025
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 9 January 2025
- Answer due by
- 24 January 2025
- Answered
- 24 January 202515 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Information on the whole-time equivalent (WTE) number of HSC Trust employed dentists in the years 2018 to 2024 is detailed in the tables below.
Table 1 presents figures on community dentists who are those directly employed by HSC Trusts. Community dentists provide dental services to patients with special care needs who are unable to attend a general dental practice because of their particular care needs.
Table 2 presents figures on other Trust-employed dentists, including consultants, specialty dentists and sessional practitioners working in areas such as oral surgery, maxillo-facial surgery, orthodontics and restorative dentistry.
Table 1: HSC Community Dentists Employed 1 (Whole-Time Equivalent) at 30 June, 2018-2024 by HSC Trust
| Position at 30 June: | Belfast HSC Trust | Northern HSC Trust | South Eastern HSC Trust | Southern HSC Trust | Western HSC Trust | Total |
| 2018 | 12.61 | 17.16 | 14.11 | 11.92 | 7.57 | 63.36 |
| 2019 | 14.75 | 16.35 | 14.31 | 11.28 | 8.50 | 65.19 |
| 2020 | 15.13 | 15.74 | 15.51 | 12.88 | 10.29 | 69.55 |
| 2021 | 14.13 | 14.12 | 15.18 | 11.79 | 10.07 | 65.29 |
| 2022 | 13.29 | 14.57 | 13.86 | 12.60 | 10.46 | 64.78 |
| 2023 | 11.69 | 15.00 | 14.36 | 14.09 | 11.06 | 66.21 |
| 2024 | 12.15 | 15.94 | 14.61 | 12.97 | 10.15 | 65.83 |
Source: Information & Analysis Directorate, DoH
Table 2: HSC Hospital Dentists Employed2 (Whole-Time Equivalent) at 30 June, 2018-2024 by HSC Trust
| Belfast HSC Trust | Northern HSC Trust | South Eastern HSC Trust | Southern HSC Trust | Western HSC Trust | Total | |
| Jun-18 | 14.58 | 1.40 | 10.48 | 1.00 | 7.60 | 35.05 |
| Jun-19 | 14.16 | 1.40 | 10.15 | 0.90 | 6.95 | 33.56 |
| Jun-20 | 15.03 | 1.80 | 12.10 | 0.90 | 5.00 | 34.83 |
| Jun-21 | 16.21 | 1.40 | 12.05 | 0.90 | 6.00 | 36.56 |
| Jun-22 | 21.45 | 1.40 | 10.16 | 0.96 | 7.00 | 40.97 |
| Jun-23 | 20.90 | 1.20 | 9.16 | 1.66 | 6.90 | 39.82 |
| Jun-24 | 20.91 | 1.20 | 9.56 | 1.66 | 6.90 | 40.23 |
Source: Information & Analysis Directorate, DoH
2 Figures do not include staff on dental foundation or specialty training.