Dental wait lists up

Patients seeking dental services will wait almost two years for public dental care at Bunbury’s General Dental Clinic, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

As of July 31 there were 1431 people on the waiting list for non-urgent dental care — equating to a wait time of 22.1 months.

Opposition spokesman for Health Roger Cook said there were more than 25,000 people on dental waiting lists around the State — up more than 7000 on the previous year.

He said the number of dental procedures undertaken by the Department of Health had decreased by 2.5 per cent over the same period.

Mr Cook said it was unacceptable that service levels had fallen while the number of patients on waiting lists around the State had grown.

He said attracting and retaining staff was one of the biggest challenges for the public dental service.

The union representing workers in the State’s dental health service held a rally outside State Parliament last week in an attempt to neogtiate a deal with the State Government.

Community and Public Sector Union branch secretary Toni Wilkington said the Government needed to attract more workers to the Dental Health Service to address a ‘‘blowout’’ in waiting times.

‘‘There is no incentive to stay in the service and this offer will not attract people to the profession,’’ Ms Wilkington said of the Government’s offer to the union.

A Dental Health Services spokeswoman said patients in need of urgent or emergency care were treated on the same day they presented to the clinic.

They said an increased awareness of subsidised dental care had also contributed to driving up the waiting lists for non-urgent dental care.

‘‘Additionally, the number of Western Australians that are eligible for dental care has risen in line with the number of Commonwealth administered card holders,’’ she said.

People holding Health Care and Pensioner Concession cards are elligible for subsidised dental care at general dental clinics while anyone else is required to visit a private dental clinic.