Private Dentists To Tackle Long Waits For Hospital Braces

Thursday, 7 March 2024 07:00

Jersey's government is advertising for private dentists who can help ease the long waiting times for young people to get braces and other orthodontic care.

It is looking to award a four year contract to up to two providers.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, already long waiting lists have grown and many parents are being told they will have to wait years - even a decade in some cases - for their child to get a brace via the State-funded hospital orthodontics service.

Many give up and go private, which can cost thousands of pounds.

A procurement exercise has begun to find a suitable private provider to help clear the backlog and cut waiting times.

It is estimated a contract would run until 2028.

In a statement, HCS told Channel 103:

"State funded orthodontic treatment for children and young people is currently only available at Jersey General hospital. Health and Community Services are looking to select 1 or 2 orthodontic practices for a limited period of time to support this service.

Waiting times, particularly from assessment to when treatment starts, have been an issue for the last few years, exacerbated by the pandemic. This initiative aims to cut waiting lists and tackle the backlog of patients waiting for treatment."

In late 2022, the government asked five private dental surgeries to see children aged 4-11 on its waiting list for a first check-up appointment.