Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for national health service orthodontic treatment provided in primary care.
From 1 January 2009, no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner or dentist to the start of their consultant-led treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so, or they choose to wait longer.
The 18 weeks commitment covers pathways that involve or might involve consultant-led care. Referral to treatment (RTT) data collection monitors the length of time from referral through to treatment and is used to measure performance against the 18 weeks operational standard.
Information is collected on the total number of incomplete RTT pathways, for oral surgery, which includes orthodontic treatment. This data looks at patients who have entered a RTT pathway but whose treatment had not yet started. Data is available from August 2007. The following table shows data for South Tyneside primary care trust (PCT), North East strategic health authority (SHA) and England:
South Tyneside PCT North East SHA England August 2007 329 3,011 152,302 April 2008 244 3,850 121,032 April 2009 423 3,431 111,188 Note: RTT data are only available from 2007 onwards. Source: Department of Health 18 weeks RTT data.
Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for national health service orthodontic treatment provided in primary care.
From 1 January 2009, no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner or dentist to the start of their consultant-led treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so, or they choose to wait longer.
The 18 weeks commitment covers pathways that involve or might involve consultant-led care. Referral to treatment (RTT) data collection monitors the length of time from referral through to treatment and is used to measure performance against the 18 weeks operational standard.
Information is collected on the median RTT waiting times for oral surgery, which includes orthodontic treatment. Data for admired pathways is available from April 2007, and data for non-admitted pathways is available form August 2007.
The following table shows data for South Tyneside primary care trust (PCT), North East strategic health authority (SHA) and England
South Tyneside PCT North East SHA England Admitted pathways April 2007 24.0 25.7 22.0 April 2008 10.0 11.7 11.1 April 2009 9.5 9.8 10.5 Non-admitted pathways August 2007 10.0 9.6 8.3 April 2008 5.7 6.0 5.3 April 2009 6.2 8.3 5.9 Notes: 1 The median waiting time reflects the amount of time that the 'middle' patient treated has waited. 2 RTT data is only available from 2007 onwards. Source: Department of Health 18 weeks RTT data
The information requested is not available, and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
However, the NHS Information Centre intends to publish information relating to units of orthodontic activity for 2008-09 in the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008-09 report, expected to be published in August 2009. This will be provided by strategic health authority area in England.